Greenhill African American / Native American Cemetery

Green Hill Historic African American Cemetery sits quietly on a hillside in Berkeley County. Though modest in appearance, this two-acre site holds deep historical and cultural significance. Established in 1850, it became the final resting place for African Americans and American Indians who were not permitted burial in the nearby white cemetery. Many of the graves are marked only by simple fieldstones—some shaped with care into arrows or birds—bearing silent witness to lives lived with dignity in the face of exclusion.

The terrain, once deemed unfit for burial by white standards, was transformed by the hands of families who honored their own traditions. Oyster shells—symbols of good fortune brought from West Africa—still emerge from the soil, especially near the base of the hill and old road, where burials likely extend beyond the visible site. Even today, efforts to preserve and protect this sacred space continue, ensuring that those buried here are remembered not only for their past but for their enduring legacy.