History commission urges city stewardship, descendant consultation for former burial ground near 106 ****** Street

Mayor William S. Cogswell Jr. and the City of Charleston’s Commission on History on Feb. 10 received a resolution asking the city to take an active stewardship role in decisions about a former city-owned burial ground adjacent to 106 ****** Street.

Harlan Green, chair of the commission on history, told the council the commission passed the resolution on Nov. 5, 2025, and urged the city to follow state statutes and established professional protocols when sites of human remains are threatened. "This includes consulting with the local descendant community and making any decisions regarding the future of the human remains and the burial ground," Green said, and suggested the city consider creating an official city archaeologist to oversee such work.

The commission’s resolution asks the city to adhere to ethical guidelines for recovery of human remains and preservation of cultural materials, to consult descendants, and to accept the commission’s assistance in preserving the site. The resolution also highlights that preservation laws often do not protect what lies beneath the ground and calls for a proactive approach.

Councilman Bowden, presenting recommendations from the Historic Assets and Resource Committee (HARC), said HARC recommends that any applicant seeking to disturb or remove human remains from historic burial grounds demonstrate "informed consent from the descendant community" and ensure remains are treated with dignity, studied appropriately, and reinterred respectfully.

Anna Catherine Alexander of the Preservation Society of Charleston, speaking during citizen participation, urged council to participate actively in community engagement conversations facilitated by the College of Charleston and said burials at the 106 ****** Street site are "foreseen and likely number in the thousands," urging council members to engage with the community and defer action that could preempt public input.

Council members acknowledged the issue and referred HARC and the commission’s recommendations to the appropriate standing committees for further review and consideration. Mayor Cogswell said the city will follow state law and "do everything that is certainly required" and strive to be "the example for the rest of the country" in handling such matters.

Next steps: Council indicated the HARC recommendations will be sent to committee chairs for follow-up; no formal policy or ordinance was adopted at the Feb. 10 meeting.