Historical Context Study
Ongoing
Montgomery County Planning is enhancing the Montgomery County Burial Sites Inventory through a Burial Sites Context survey. Because no context for cemeteries currently exists for the county, we are unable to establish which cemeteries not included in the Master Plan for Historic Preservation should be added, nor what it is about those that are listed or included as a part of a larger listed property. This project will refine our understanding of the cemeteries in our inventory and help us better identify, appreciate, communicate about, and preserve potentially significant features or attributes of these sites that may contribute to their significance. The Burial Sites Context survey will provide the foundation for future updates to the Master Plan for Historic Preservation.
The study is focusing on cemeteries established after the arrival of colonial settlers and more than 50 years ago except where cemeteries reflect important recent immigration trends or intersect developing historic contexts like the Asian American and Pacific Islander or LGBTQ contexts, countywide plans such as the 2023 Rustic Roads Functional Plan, or other research initiatives such as the Mapping Segregation project.
Work began with a review of the existing literature on the history of cemeteries and an analysis of the existing inventory. This process led to the development of a classification of the burial sites in the inventory by type, period, and cultural affiliation.
For more information, see the 2025 Briefing for the Planning Board.
Other research projects
Historic Preservation staff engage in site-specific research in an attempt to find cemeteries where we only know their approximate location, and to refine our understanding of how burial grounds in our county are organized. Below are past and ongoing research initiatives along with a link to a report if one has been completed.
Shaw Family Cemetery Survey and Maintenance Plan
Competed November 2023
Montgomery Planning conducted ground penetrating radar survey at the site to identify the area where graves may be located. The survey was successful in identifying possible and probable grave locations and areas that appear to lack them. The report provides background on the cemetery history, the results of the ground penetrating radar survey, and recommended details for maintenance consistent with the Montgomery County Planning Board Guidelines for Burial Sites.
Human Remains Detection Dogs and Ground Penetrating Radar Study
Ongoing
Montgomery Planning initiated a pilot study to test the usefulness of historic human remains detection (HHRD) dogs in finding lost, unmarked graves. HHRD dog teams employ dogs trained for forensic investigations as part of recovery and police investigations and that have experience working on historic sites. A growing body of evidence shows that HHRD dog teams can detect historical graves. We are working on a selection of three possible burial grounds. We have completed the HHRD work at all three sites and are in the process of returning with ground penetrating radar to validate the results. Preliminary results suggest we may have succeeded in identifying the burial ground at the Moneysworth Master Plan Historic Site in Clarksburg. The results of the study will be used to refine the inventory and develop recommendations and protocols concerning the use of forensic dogs in our investigations.
Ground Penetrating Radar and Mapping Union Wesley AME Church
Ongoing
Union Wesley AME Church was an African American church established in 1874. The church closed in 1920, and the last known burial occurred in 1944. The property was sold in the 1980s as part of a tax sale and subsequently became overgrown. Staff provided information about the history and location of the site to descendants. Descendants and members of the community came together to clear the site, and Planning staff have been conducting cemetery feature mapping and ground penetrating radar survey work to create a basemap of the site that can be used as a part of future preservation plans.