Potter’s Field
Potter’s Field in Salisbury is located right behind the Arby’s on route 50 and is the burial ground for slaves who work at Poplar Hill Mansion in its early days. Commerce Street divides the cemetery in half and Potters Field is on the north side of the street between Commerce and Route 50. It is long neglected as an abandoned piece of City property.
And what does that have to do with gardening? We’re getting to that and, admittedly, the connection may be fragile, but it’s certainly worthwhile.
The story revolves around Ben Smith, a Boy Scout who came to visit the Poplar Hill Mansion a year ago as part of his Eagle Scout project. He became intrigued with the role Poplar Hill played in Salisbury’s history and got the idea to clean up, research and restore the Potter’s Field section of the cemetery in order to earn his Eagle Scout requirement. The gardening part comes in with the condition of the grounds which are in need of mowing, edging, re-seeding and general clean up. He is hopeful that another Scout or group of Scouts will pick up the African-American Huston Cemetery located on the south side of Commerce Street.
Ben estimates that he will need $12,000 for repair and maintenance of Potter’s Field and is working through the non-profit status of Poplar Hill to accept donations. If you are interested in helping Ben reach his Eagle Scout status with a contribution to this project, you can make your check out to Friends of Poplar Hill Mansion and note “Ben Smith Eagle Scout” on the memo line. Donations can be mailed to the Mansion at 117 Elizabeth Street, Salisbury, MD 21801.
As an additional note, Potter’s Field, as some of you may already know, is not a name unique to Salisbury. Potter’s field is a generic term for a pauper’s or common grave site of unknown or indigent people. The name is said to have originated in the Bible, referring to a field used for the extraction of potter’s clay and, therefore a piece of land so unsuitable for farming that it could be used for a burial site.
A tiny cemetery that was neglected for many, many years. How nice to know that someone now cares and that the “someone” is one of our own teenagers about to become an Eagle Scout! Can you lend some financial support?
The Gardening Grannies are a mature group of avid and Master Gardeners who live, love and garden on the Delmarva Peninsula. You can reach us at GardeningGrannies@47abc.com.
