Background and State of the Cemetery

Pvt. Richard "Dick" Moran, known as the "Warring Methodist", a member of the 43rd  Va. Cavalry and leading member of "Mosby's Rangers" is buried here.  Also buried here are members of the Burdine, Edwards, Havener, Hawes, Jackson, Lyon, Moran, Paxson, and Shryock Families.

The graveyard appears to be at least somewhat taken care of in 2009.  All the headstones are visible, although some are toppled over.  The grass seems to have been cut recently enough, although how much of that grass is actually just dead versus having been maintained is a bigger debate.  

10 Years Later

As shown in this photo, however, the graveyard is now in disrepair, with most residents' headstones missing (including Dick Moran's).  Other headstones are barely legible, broken and cracked, or fallen over.  The grass has long overrun the area, concealing tombstones, rocks, and ruts.  There are also various holes created by burrowing critters, either just into the ground or even into graves themselves.  To be fair, however, the first picture was taken in June, whereas the second was taken in March.

NOVA Parks

After corresponding with the Director of Park Operations at NOVA Parks, Chris Pauley, I learned that the NOVA Parks works with the golf course that the cemetery is located on and organizes maintenance several times annually.  However, it seems that there has been a long time between landscaping appointments.  Pauley also spoke on the lack of headstones, saying that many there were actually just buried without headstones, or headstones were taken by family members, as is rumored to have happened to Dick Moran.  

Background and State of the Cemetery