Resident calls for action after historic cemetery damaged in Pender County

BURGAW, NC (WWAY) — A nearby resident is calling on Pender County leaders to take action after an old cemetery was damaged during the clearing of a 12-acre property near Burgaw.

The cemetery, located near the intersection of Horse Branch Road and Malpass Corner Road, dates to the 1800s.

Several nearby neighbors say Clayton Homes, which purchased the property and cleared the land for seven residential lots.

During Tuesday night’s Pender County Board of Commissioners meeting, Pendery County resident Gretchen Kozen asked commissioners to establish a process for identifying and protecting cemeteries before development begins.

“There should be a process for citizens and descendants to report cemeteries that are missing from the county records,” Kozen said. “When development is proposed, cemetery locations should be identified and protected before clearing or construction begins, not after the damage has occurred.”

As of now, Pender County has put a hold on construction in the area surrounding the cemetery.