Magnolia Umbra cemetery district

1850 - 1956
Charleston, South Carolina
National Register Nomination / Accepted May 2017
(Completed in partnership with the Charleston Preservation Society) 

The Charleston Upper Peninsula Cemetery District was formerly the Magnolia Umbra Plantation. Beginning in 1849, the property underwent an eighteen-month transition under the guidance of South Carolina architect Edward C. Jones in the spirit of the rural cemetery movement. The first established cemetery was the Magnolia Cemetery; however, expansion and additions of additional cemeteries happened almost immediately and the cemetery district continued to grow through the mid-twentieth century. Today, there are twenty-two contributing cemeteries to the district. Located at the northern boundary of the city of Charleston, South Carolina the Charleston Upper Peninsula Cemetery District is composed of twenty-three cemeteries established between 1850-1956. The Charleston Upper Peninsula Cemetery District is bounded by a marsh of the Cooper River to the east, and industrial as well as residential property to the north, south, and west. Near the outskirts of the Charleston City limits, the district is tucked away off Meeting Street. When first established, Charleston’s city limit was approximately two miles south of the district. The city has grown considerably since 1850 and the location of the district is now within the limits of the city. Spatially, the twenty-three cemeteries co-exist in direct proximity to each other within a flat 107 acres. The district retains a high degree of integrity in design, workmanship, materials, setting, location, feeling, and association. Below find a map showing the boundaries of the district and list of contributing cemeteries, including their date of establishment.