From Pender to Brunswick, development raises concerns over cemetery protection

SOUTHEASTERN, NC (WWAY) — A hot topic is roaming in the air, or maybe underground, as next month Brunswick County commissioners are scheduled to review and vote on a new ordinance that would establish clear legal stands for respectful treatment of burial sites, this comes after neighboring Pender County is dealing with cemetery desecration by a developer.

Frustration and anger are growing after gravestones were damaged at a cemetery off Horse Branch Road and Malpass Corner Road as land was cleared for a new housing development.

Samantha Pridgen, who lives near the cemetery, said she believes Clayton Homes should have known the burial site was there before clearing the property.

“I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that they knew that the cemetery or gravestones were there and they just bypassed that and demolished it anyway,” Pridgen said.

Pridgen said a letter sent to neighbors about the development included a map marking the cemetery.

She said Clayton Homes has stopped development on the cemetery for now, but she believes work should stop altogether until the damage is addressed.

“I think Clayton Homes should stop, and they need to reimburse and remake those headstones and put them back in the ground where they belong,” Pridgen said.

Pridgen also criticized the pace of development, saying she believes builders are moving too quickly and are not considering the impact on nearby residents.

“They’re going in too fast and building too fast and have no regards to anyone else,” she said. “I really think it’s just about the money.”

The damage in Pender County is also raising broader questions about how historic and family cemeteries can be protected as development expands.

In neighboring Brunswick County, county leaders recently approved the creation of a cemetery committee to help oversee the protection of existing cemeteries.

Brunswick County Commissioner Pat Sykes recalled a cemetery connected to her own family, including the grave of Capt. Joseph Hewett, being destroyed.

“It was my family,” Sykes said. “They destroyed all the stones and we got no help.”

One commissioner said this idea could have been helpful much earlier, as development continues to rise in the area.

“We need this pretty doggone soon because, you know, developers are out there burning every day, clearing land every day,” said one commissioner. “This needs to be addressed.”