St. Clair’s Bottom Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery
Chilhowie, Smyth County, Virginia
Partial Survey
The St. Clair’s Bottom Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery is located South of Chilhowie, Smyth County, Virginia. Directions: Exit I-81 at Chilhowie, take Route 762 South, turn left on Route 600 (Old Airport Road) or turn left on Route 660 (Riverside Drive). The church is at the intersection of Routes 600 and 660. The St. Clair’s Bottom Primitive Baptist Church was established in 1775 and the cemetery was probably established soon thereafter. Many of the older stones have weathered to such a degree that any inscriptions are imperceptible. Many of the older graves are not marked with any designation whatsoever. The oldest established burials dates from 1802.
This cemetery is sometimes identified as the Sinclair’s Bottom Cemetery, however, the church takes care of the graveyard, and the name of the church should apply.
This cemetery survey and photos were done by Jeff Weaver on March 24, 2003.
General Views of the Cemetery at St. Clair’s Bottom Primitive Baptist Church
| Name | Birth | Death | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Row 1 | |||
| Barker, Anna B. Compton | Oct. 5, 1881 | Aug. 2, 1968 | Double stone with next |
| Barker, Elder H. T. | Aug. 28, 1875 | July 15, 1946 | [Primitive Baptist Minister] |
| Row 2 | |||
| Bartley, Dora M | Nov. 9, 1875 | Oct. 28, 1950 | Double stone with next. |
| Bartley, James A. | Aug. 19, 1867 | Dec. 2, 1961 | |
| Bartley, Opal | July 23, 1929 | Feb. 8, 1931 | |
| Blevins, Mary E. | 1866 | 1955 | Double stone with next |
| Blevins, John A. | 1868 | 1951 | |
| Sheets, Roy | July 17, 1908 | Oct. 4, 1923 | s/o H. P. & Celia Sheets |
| Privett, Oscar Jessie | Sept. 15, 1919 | Feb. 2, 1941 | |
| Perry, Margaret A | 1874 | 1944 | Double stone with next |
| Perry, Roby | 1879 | 1954 | |
| Booker, Lizzie N | 1864 | 1951 | Double stone with next |
| Booker, Phillip H. | 1865 | 1949 | |
| Keen, W.M. | Oct. 18, 1900 | Dec. 26, 1956 | |
| Keene, Frances | July 24, 1863 | Mar. 7, 1942 | Double stone with next |
| Keene, Richard | Aug. 24, 1864 | Nov. 28, 1941 | |
| Row 4 | |||
| Stone, worn smooth | |||
| Stone, worn smooth | |||
| Stone, worn nearly smooth, but illegible | |||
| Stone worn smooth | |||
| Stone worn smooth | |||
| Stone worn smooth | |||
| Field stone | |||
| Stone worn smooth | |||
| Stone worn smooth | |||
| Stone worn smooth | |||
| Gollehon, Robert | ca. 1780 | Nov. 9, 1843 | Double stone with next |
| Gollehon, Ann Tilson | Feb. 9, 1788 | Apr. 22, 1842 | This stone erected by descendants in 1995 |
| Gollehon, John | July 4, 1841 | Age 30 years, 4 months 8 days. | |
| Gollehon, Maria | Dec. 1, 1888 | Age 73 years, 2 months 18 days. | |
| Broken stone, worn smooth | |||
| Perry, Nannie E. | 1890 | 1968 | Double stone with next |
| Perry, Alonzo | 1890 | 1943 | |
| Perry, James G. | 1865 | .1950 | Double stone with next |
| Perry, Elzina S. | 1869 | 1940 | |
| Miller, Elder H. B. | Mar. 2, 1843 | Feb. 8 1935 | Double stone with next, Primitive Baptist Minister; Born in Ashe Co., NC; Co. A, 26th NC Inf., C.S.A. |
| Miller, Edith M | Jun 3, 1840 | April 1, 1921 | |
| Blevins, Hugh M. | 1889 | 1958 | Double stone with next. Primitive Baptist Minister |
| Blevins, Lelia A. [Miller] | 1894 | 1949 | |
| Row 6 | |||
| Bonham, Joseph P. | Jun 2, 1882 | Age 78 yr. 8 mos. 24 days | |
| Bonham, Mary | Nov. 16, 1863 | age 57 years, wife of Joseph P. Bonham | |
| Bonham, W. Francis | S/o Joseph & Mary Bonham | ||
| Stone worn smooth | |||
| Stone, illegible | |||
| Bishop, John | Stone very difficult to read | ||
| Bishop, Rhoda | Sep. 26, 1817 | Age 72 years __ Mos, 9 days | |
From the files of Renie Hoover Helton
Surveyed November 8, 1992
Located south of Chilhowie, Virginia near or on the original tract of land surveyed by Col. John Buchanan on behalf of the early settler Charles Sinclair, Sinclair, an Englishman, was already homesteading in the area when the earliest surveys were made. Agreeing to act as guide for Col. John Buchanan’s party, Sinclair was rewarded by Buchanan in having one thousand acres recorded in his name at Augusta County, Virginia, dated March 1, 1748. The church having been established in 1775, makes this one of the oldest burying grounds in Smyth County.
This Cemetery was copied and published in McConnell’s work High on a Windy Hill, in the 1960s. This researcher was able to decipher a bit more information than was found by McConnell and is found herein. Also included within this listing is inscriptions found only by McConnell and duly noted as her work by using the * symbol.
Headstones from this Survey
Headstones from a few who sleep here. Please select any to view the full-size gallery.
-
- Jane Bishop, D. 1888
-
- Andrew Bishop
-
- Hezekiah Bonham, D. 1888
-
- Easter Bonham, D. 1850
-
-
Joseph Bittle Bonham,
1859-1876
-
- Andrew Cole, 1815-1878
-
- Asenath Cole, 1811-1885
-
- John R. Duncan, D. 1846
-
-
John Hawthorn, 1815-1887
and Polly Cole
-
- John Pickle, 1834-1912
-
- Scena Ann Pickle
-
- Minnie J Pickle, D. 1893
-
- Elvira Rouse Ross
-
-
Paulser Rouse, D. 1855,
age 80
-
- Elizabeth Snavely
-
- Frances Snavely
-
- _____ Thomas, 1828
