Gish-Muse Cemetery

 

Locality: Roanoke County                  Temporal Period:                  19th c., 1st quarter 20th c.

Realty Map:          61.01-6-19                              Cultural Affiliation:              Euro-American

USGS Map:           Stewartsville                         Landform:                              Ridge top

Grid Locus:            B-10                                        Elevation:                              1160 feet

UTM Easting:       600660                                    Aspect:                                  Southwest

UTM Northing:    4127350

 

Site Dimensions: 30.3  by 30.3 by 42.2 by  42.6 feet

 

Survey Description: Site consists of a small family cemetery with at least 24 interments.  The graves were identified on the basis of six inscribed marble headstones, two inscribed fieldstone markers, and 16 uninscribed fieldstone markers.  Other graves without markers may be present.  Observed graves were oriented from 70 to 90 degrees.  Site is surrounded by an iron fence and a gate is located along the northeastern side.  Additionally, a vertical plank privacy fence was recently constructed around the iron fence. Periwinkle was the only historic planting identified. Site was field inspected and headstone inscriptions were transcribed and compared to previous site documentation.  Site size was derived by measuring the horizontal extent of the iron fence.

 

Survey Dates:       3/98 & 11/98

 

Field Notes:           x Yes    No

Photographs:           Yes   x  No

 

Reference(s):         Roanoke Valley Historical Society

                                1986        Roanoke County Graveyards Through 1920.  Privately printed, RVHS, Roanoke.

 

Additional Comments: Assigned temporal period was based on information from the Gish family Bible reported by the Roanoke Valley Historical Society.  Death dates on observed headstones range from 1864 through 1910; however, family Bible information indicates that interments date as early as 1816.  Most of the graves have uninscribed fieldstones as headstones and footstones.  Site is not marked on the USGS Stewartsville map sheet, but was recently included on local realty maps.  The site is located on land that was recently subdivided for a residential housing development.

 

The Gish-Muse Cemetery was surveyed by the RVHS and biographical information regarding 16 members of the Gish, Muse, and Settles families was documented in their report (1986:  126).  A note in the RVHS report suggests that descriptive information was derived from the Gish family bible and from headstones in the cemetery.

 

An attempt to survey the cemetery in the summer of 1997 failed due to an extremely dense growth of briars in and around the cemetery.  In March 1998 the site was partially cleared of vegetation and a limited documentation was accomplished.  After a thorough cleaning of cemetery in September or October of 1998 a complete documentation was permitted.   During this period of time the area surrounding the cemetery was in the process of development into the Edgemont residential subdivision.

 

The C & S Development Corporation assimilated the cemetery into the subdivision in a sympathetic manner, cleared the cemetery of dense vegetation and completed much needed maintenance.  The original iron fence around the cemetery has been kept in place.  However, at the request of new residents in the subdivision a “privacy” fence of wood posts and vertical planks was constructed immediately surrounding the iron fence.  Additionally, an easement was established to permit easy access to the cemetery from Sunflower Drive.  The original iron fence surrounding the cemetery contained a gate along its northeastern side, and the new access easement necessitated construction of a new gate at the west corner of the cemetery.


Gish-Muse Cemetery (continued)

 

During the 1998 survey 24 graves were identified in the cemetery.  These included six graves marked with inscribed marble headstones and graves with inscribed fieldstone markers.   Additionally, the footstones for the graves of George F. Settles and Joseph N. Settles were not aligned with their respective headstones.  This misalignment was first observed when a partially clearing of the cemetery permitted some documentation in March 1998.  This suggests that either the headstones or footstones were dislodged and improperly reset at some point in the past prior to cemetery maintenance associated with the subdivision development.

 

Marker inscriptions:

 

Mary Frances                                       Sarah Muse                                                           In Memory of

Daughter of Wm. H. & S.                    Born                                                                       William H. Muse

Muse,                                                     June 8, 1829                                                           Born

Born Nov. 21, 1859.                              Died                                                                        Aug. 25, 1825

Died Dec. 29, 1880.                               Aug. 26, 1895                                                        Died

Aged                                                      For if we believe that Jesus                                Oct. 30, 1905

21 yrs. 1 mo. & 8 ds.                            died and rose again even so                              80 yrs, 2 mos &

(maker’s mark:                                       them also which sleep in                                     5 dys.

Roanoke Works, Salem)                      Jesus will God bring with Him.                           Blessed are the

(footstone:  M.F.M.)                            (footstone small & not inscribed)                     dead which die

in the Lord.

(Fallen obelisk

with associated

iron cross marker

 for CSA;

 footstone:

 W.H.M.)

 

G. Gish                                                   George F.                                                               Joseph N. Settles

B 1783                                                    Son of                                                                    Died

D 1864                                                    J.N. & L. Settles.                                                   Sept. 6, 1876

(inscribed fieldstone marker)              Born                                                                       Aged 48 years

Aug. 2, 1873                                                          Thou are gone but

Died                                                                        not

Sept. 20, 1893                                                        Forgotten

Not dead but sleepeth

 

S                                                              Lydia Gish

ON                                                          Wife of

G                                                             J.N. Settles

(inscribed fieldstone marker)              Born

July 7, 1832

Died

Feb. 20, 1910.

I have fought a good fight. I have

finished my course.  I have kept

the faith.


 

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