How close to a cemetary is too close?

[Kevin75931]

Half a mile or so from my house use to be a turn of the 1900s sawmill community. The mill burned down in 1925, and nothing is left of the community - houses are gone, church is gone, post office gone... etc. The only thing that remains are a few graves. The graves are off in the woods and difficult to get to.

I suspect there was a building near the graves, but not sure as there are no existing maps of the community.

I would like to metal detect say 40 or 50 feet from the graves, but then again I feel bad about being even that close to them. The graves date to around 1915, 1918... somewhere in there.

Looking at google earth after the area was clear cut by the timber company, it looks like there is an old road going to the grave area. The road is not visible from the ground level. This leads me to think there may have been a building near the graves. There are only a handful of graves, and the community was just a few hundred yards away, so why have a road?

So how close is too close? I would like to see if I can determine if there was a church near the graves, but do not want to get too close to the graves.

I feel this is an important question not only for my peace of mind, but also for the community as a whole.

 

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[Peyton Manning]

If no one is even maintaining the cemetery I would think 40- 50 feet would be ok

 

[Grizz12]

As long as you dont dig you should be able to detect over the graves but I dont know why you would intentionally do that

 

[mrwilburino]

Anywhere outside the perimeter is fine.

 

[smokeythecat]

What they said. 50' should be fine. Just watch out for zombies.

 

[Bquamb]

If it's one of those forgotten areas, I say go Ham. Graves are exempt but I'm sure you're likely to find some goodies in the surrounding areas.

 

[Tpmetal]

Only place I would consider off limits is over the grave areas themselves. If theres a old cart/walking path through the center or right next to it I wouldn't hesitate to hit that.

 

[CASPER-2]

ive done pretty good hitting outside older ones

 

[Kevin75931]

Thanks guys.

Google earth shows a old road going up to a near the graves, then stops, which leads me to believe the road stopped at a building. There is no fence around the graves.

I have been to the graves several times and the road is not visible from ground level. The area is timber company land, which is planted in pine trees, then clear cut every 13 - 15 years or so. A manager for the timber comapny gave me permission to do metal detecting in the area.

 

[coinman123]

I had some luck in the woods behind a cemetery (where a house used to be), still owned by the town and no graves anywhere near me.

 

[jeff of pa]

 

[tinpan]

Hi When the shovel hits wood your almost there . TP

 

[boogeyman]

Thanks guys.

Google earth shows a old road going up to a near the graves, then stops, which leads me to believe the road stopped at a building. There is no fence around the graves.

I have been to the graves several times and the road is not visible from ground level. The area is timber company land, which is planted in pine trees, then clear cut every 13 - 15 years or so. A manager for the timber comapny gave me permission to do metal detecting in the area.

Don't see a problem since you got (written I hope) permission from the timber co. Just stay off the graves. I think 98% of the stigma is disturbing the dead & respect. I always walk by the backs of the headstones in cemeteries, just don't feel to cool about standing on somebodies chest or face but that's my beliefs / respect.

You did get your permission in writing dinja? Things happen with verbal permissions. Manager gets fired or transferred, you got permission on Thursday and after drinking up Fridays bonus he doesn't remember you at all. Make a couple of copies and carry them in sandwich bags. Five minutes making a copy is better than 3 hours waiting for the cops to finger out what's up.

 

[damian1013]

Have you used the USGS historical mapping website?
http://historicalmaps.arcgis.com/usgs/

 

[tinpan]

Hi ,Without the local county sexton's report how you know where the cemetery boundary is . Often the unknown ,the poor and still born are buried in unmarked grave on consecrated ground or not. That's a risk you take. Not sure you will find much in or near a grave.TP

 

[BC1969]

This thread is disheartening!
Please stay completely away from my family's cemetery in Gordo, Alabama!
Don't go in or around it.
It is ALL private property.
I've personally put metallic mementos around that area including war medals.
Please don't desecrate the sanctity.

BC

 

[chub]

They did OK in the Good the Bad and the Ugly in the cemetery

Chub

 

[chub]

This thread is disheartening!
Please stay completely away from my family's cemetery in Gordo, Alabama!
Don't go in or around it.
It is ALL private property.
I've personally put metallic mementos around that area including war medals.
Please don't desecrate the sanctity.

BC

OP is in Texas, Not even the F75 can go that far...

Chub

 

[BC1969]

OP is in Texas, Not even the F75 can go that far...

Chub

I know..but there are plenty of Bama' folks here that may read this thread.

BC

 

[EnvoyToTheMolePeople]

I have the good fortune of having a family church with a cemetery, where I was given full permission to detect. I got some really interesting things there, including a beautiful 1864 Nova Scotia penny. You should understand that in an old unmaintained cemetery there are probably five to ten times as many graves as there are markers, depending on the age of the cemetery and if the owners could afford stone monuments. However, people were almost universally planted pretty deep, deep enough that you probably won't disturb them even if you are detecting right above the grave. But, if you are committed to staying outside the cemetery, 50' should be more than enough.