Existing comment:
Several recorded accounts identified that 20 to 30 individuals, including members of the Darne family, were buried here. Given the high infant mortality rates until the mid-19th century even the youngest residents of Darnestown were vulnerable to the hardships of life, disease, and death.
The mystery remains as to who were the occupants of this graveyard. Between 1994-1999 historical research and several archeological digs were conducted to help shed some light on the question. The nearby Darnestown Presbyterian Church had a cemetery that dates from the 19th century; it is possible that residents not affiliated with this congregation were buried in this smaller non-secular graveyard. Equally, travelers whose demise occurred while in Darnestown may been put to rest in this lot. The lack of tombstones could also indicate patronage by some residents lacking financial resources for an elaborate burial. There is even a possibility that some unidentified graves belong to Union soldiers.
Because of a variety of factors -- missing markers, possible grave robbing, neglect over time -- this cemetery was lost to the ages. The occupants might be nameless, but certainly not forgotten. |