Local teen aims to restore a forgotten piece of Salisbury’s history
An important piece of Salisbury’s history lies here tucked away behind the Arby’s off route 50, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at. It goes by Potter’s Cemetery, or the Salisbury City cemetery, but no signs denote the site’s significance. That’s partially why 13-year-old Ben Smith, looks to restore the cemetery back into decent condition.
“There is some importance to it, you know, there’s African-American’s buried here, there’s Union soldiers buried here, so we need to pay our respects to it,” Smith said, who’s plan is to restore the cemetery as part of his process in becoming an Eagle Scout.
Not only is one of Salisbury’s more prominent former slaves buried at cemetery, but the grounds are also home to a mass grave of Union Soldiers.
“There was an influenza outbreak and about 300 of (the soldiers) died and were buried in mass grave right here in the cemetery,” said Sarah Meyers, curator for Friends of the Poplar Hill Mansion.
Meyers showed Smith the cemetery on one of Smith’s scout field trips. After learning the history of the place, Smith was appalled that he had never heard of it before and at how poorly the place had been kept. Most of the headstones there have deteriorated to the point that people can’t read the names and there is no sign to mark where the Union soldiers lay.
“How in the world did we not know about this, why isn’t this in my history book you know what I’m saying so I was like you know come on I can’t believe that,” Smith said.
Along with the soldiers, and other graves, lies former slave Levin Huston freed in 1829 before the emancipation co-founder of the first African-American church in Salisbury, Md. and a prominent business man who went on to own his own grocery store.
Smith says he’s aiming to raise $12,000 to completely restore the cemetery.
He asks that checks or cash be sent to Friends of Poplar Hill Mansion, 117 Elizabeth St., Salisbury, MD. 21801 and that people mark Ben Smith or Ben cemetery in the memo area or on the envelope.
If he’s unable to raise the money, there’s no telling how much longer the cemetery will last before nature reclaims it.
