Barnes Cemetery - Development Concerns in Hampton, Virginia

Cemetery purchased for housing development in Hampton  

Barnes Cemetery, also known as Woodland Cemetery, is situated at 213 and 215 Woodland Road, with a section of 217 Woodland Road near Pembroke Ave in Hampton, Virginia. This land is officially designated as a cemetery, with burial plots sold since 1885, reflecting its rich history.  

Your grave is intended to be your final resting place. Research indicates that eleven graves were desecrated, and bodies were moved on 22 September 2005.  

In that year, a developer acquired the cemetery with plans for housing development on the cemetery site. Eleven vaults were relocated, and the City of Hampton refers to the eleven health permits for the transport of the bodies as evidence of all the attempts made to remove the remains.  

According to the Code of Virginia, the process for exhuming bodies mandates due diligence in locating next of kin, which often involves public notices in local newspapers. However, this step was not completed in this case. Subsequently, a Bill in Equity must be submitted to the Circuit Court, which seeks the judge's approval to move the bodies and allows families to voice their opinions. Additionally, permits from the city are required for opening and closing each grave; unfortunately, this was also overlooked. Lastly, individual permits from the health department are mandatory for each grave to transfer the bodies, and while eleven permits were obtained, three were attributed to Virginia Barnes, though records do not verify three individuals with this name in the City of Hampton or in Barnes Cemetery. One permit was for Frank Chisman; however, a photograph taken the following day shows no soil removed from his grave, and no new grave site was marked. Where is Frank Chisman?  

Moreover, the process also necessitates a funeral director to oversee the relocation, which was absent during this operation. Without this professional oversight, the authenticity of the relocated bodies remains questionable, raising concerns about potential grave robbing or misidentification.  

The implications of disturbing the ground, especially in light of cemetery development concerns, are significant. Given that Barnes Cemetery dates back to the 1880s, it is crucial to consider that embalming solutions used historically were often unregulated and composed largely of arsenic, with copper and mercury used variably by embalmers. Arsenic has an estimated shelf life of about 2,000 years, while copper and mercury also persist long-term. Generally, cemeteries like Barnes are found to be eight times more toxic than regular land due to these factors. Virginia does not require grave vaults, and since vaults only became common around 1920, many interred here likely did not have one. Furthermore, wooden coffins and caskets with metal fittings, along with leads in paints and varnishes, potentially contribute additional toxins to the ground. Ground Penetrating Radar has been employed multiple times, yet historical cemeteries such as Barnes Cemetery present challenges in identifying all graves accurately. Comparatively, Sentra Hospital in Hampton possesses a cemetery of similar age and collaborated with William and Mary College to identify its perimeter and prevent any desecration. Why is the City of Hampton not mandating similar measures before permitting any ground disturbance or development?  

The recent disturbances, including utility lines, driveways, and a new storm drain at the cemetery's entrance, raise concerns about the potential leaching of arsenic, copper, mercury, and other heavy metals into the storm drains through runoff, possibly turning the soil into a hazardous site.  

This cemetery was once owned by Norfleet Barnes, who, along with William Trusty, became one of the first two Black Town Councilmen in Virginia, elected in 1901. Norfleet Barnes was buried here in 1909, following the burial of his mother in 1885 and his father in 1887. His father served as a U.S.C.T. (U. S. Colored Troops) member stationed at Ft. Monroe during the Civil War.  

You can make a difference. Reach out via phone or email to the Mayor, Vice Mayor, City Council, City Manager, and City Attorney to express your concerns regarding this cemetery development situation.  

City Council  

Phone: 757-727-6315  

Fax: 757-728-3037  

Email: council@hampton.gov  

For individual emails to council members, see below:  

Mayor Jimmy Gray: jgray@hampton.gov  

Vice Mayor Steven L. Brown: steven.brown@hampton.gov  

Council member Randy Bowman: randy.bowman@hampton.gov  

Council member Carolyn Campbell: carolyn.campbell@hampton.gov  

Council member Michelle Ferebee: michelle.ferebee@hampton.gov  

Council member Hope L. Harper: hope.harper@hampton.gov  

Council member Martha Mugler: martha.mugler@hampton.gov  

City Manager: Mary Bunting  

Phone: 757-727-6392  

Email: mbunting@hampton.gov  

City Attorney: Courtney Sydnor  

Phone: 757-727-6127  

Fax: 757-727-6788  

Email: courtney.sydnor@hampton.gov  

More updates and information will follow.