Saving Graves: Endangered Cemetery Report

Saving Graves

Old Poteet Family Cemetery
Marion, McDowell County, North Carolina

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Date: April 5, 2001

Cemetery: Old Poteet Family Cemetery
Established: 1800's
Street: Vein Mtn Road at the foot of Turkey Mountain
City: 9 miles SSE of Marion, NC / 16 Miles SSW of Morganton, NC
Township: Dysartsville/Brackettown Area
County: McDowell
State: North Carolina
Nation: USA
Zip: 28761
Nearby: South Muddy Creek Bridge on Vein Mountain Road
Reached by: Crossing property-private
Location: Rural-woods
Land: Hillside
Water: No
Features: Stone Wall possibly a foundation of some sort.
Sign: No
Land Type: Private
Access: Permission-required
Surrounded by: None
Gate: None
Status: Abandoned
Size: Medium
Unmarked graves: Yes
Markers:
Gravestones: 30+
Broken gravestones: Yes
Toppled gravestones: Yes
Buried gravestones: Yes
Removed Gravestones: Unknown
Weather problems: Yes
Pollution problems: No
Oldest grave: 1858
Newest grave: 1877
Association: No
Records: Unsure
Inventory: No
Records location:
Condition: Cemetery neglected
Vandalized: No
Vegetation: Damaging gravestones
Vegetation problem: Trees
Drainage: Good
Problem: Encroachment
Problem: Restricted access
Problem: Access denied
Problem: Apathy
Problem: Disintegrating Headstones
Work Status: Work underway - Minor improvements made
Owner: Business
Use: Recreational
Bordering: Woods
Change: Unknown
Reason:
Visited: Occasionally
Archeology: No
Previous contacts: Lost Dutchman's Mining Association, Poteet Family Organization.
B1: Submit
Remote User:
Date: Friday, April 06, 2001

Other information

The cemetery is currently owned by the Lost Dutchman's Mining Association (LDMA). My cousin found the property based on original family deeds. So far the LDMA has given us access to the property and have been more than helpful in helping us clear out trees and undergrowth off of the cemetery. We hope to make a formal proposal to the LDMA in writing in the coming weeks. We would like to formally survey the cemetery. We feel that the boundaries far exceed what we have uncovered. The LDMA caretaker has told us that if we can show proof that a grave exists we can put a fence around that perimeter. I feel like that is a step in the right direction. We hope that family members will help out with sweat and funds. Once we have a written authorization from the LDMA we intend on constructing a fence around the cemetery, putting up signage along the highway entrance, putting gravel on the 1500ft washboard road. We also would like to restore the markers and gravestones but really don't know the proper steps to take in restoration.

Support Contacts

Chris Poteet chris_poteet@hotmail.com President Poteet Family Organization Genealogist Bill Poteat bdp@hci.net Genealogist, Family Member, Custodian. www.poteatfamily.org/www.poteetfamily.org

Submitted By:

name: Christopher Poteet
Email: chris_poteet@hotmail.com