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POLCIES AND TRUSTEES

CEMETERY RULES AND REGULATIONS

To maintain the historical character, dignity, and aesthetic standards of the Lynchburg Cemetery, and to ensure efficient, safe, and cost-effective maintenance, the Board of Trustees (herein after the Board) of the Lynchburg Cemetery Association Inc. (herein after “LCA”) adopt the following Rules and Regulations. These policies apply to all plot owners and their responsible family members, and to anyone who has paid a deposit since the year 1966 (the date of Incorporation).

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The historical designation of our cemetery was awarded in 2004 by the National Register of Historic Places has put more restrictions on what will be allowed on the property. The Board of Trustees has the responsibility to assure all current (2025) Rules, Regulations, Policies, and Procedures are followed. The 2025 Rules supersede all agreements that may have been made in the past, and if any person who has paid a deposit on a plot in the past objects to the 2025 Rules, the LCA agrees to return the deposit amount that has been paid.

i.Headstones and Monuments

  • When someone inquires about having a burial, or purchasing a plot for future use, they will be then given copies of the Lynchburg Cemetery Information Sheets (listed below). If there is a burial requested within days, the deceased’s representative (or closest family member) will be given the same. The President or the Treasurer is responsible for hand delivering, emailing, or using regular US mail, the following:

    Information #1: Rules and Regulations

    Information #2: Family Contact Sheet (for family to complete and return)

    Information #3: Monument Companies Nearby

    Information #4: Permanent Monuments Allowed

    After the inquiring family member(s) have read and agreed to accept Information #1-4, they will be given information #5: Record of Receipt of Payment, which includes details of the plot they have requested. After the full payment is made, the fully signed document will serve as the guarantee of performance and will be sent to the responsible person.
     

  • All headstones must be approved by the Board before being ordered or installed. Approval will be based on strict measurement, color, and design limitations established by the Board. (Refer to Information #4 for nearby companies.)
     

  • Headstones are required to mark all burial sites and must be installed within two (2) years of burial.
     

  • If a headstone is not installed within two years, the board may install a simple marker bearing only the deceased name and dates, at the family's expense.
     

  • Maximum installations allowed on a single plot. One upright monument and one ground level foot stone, (Refer to Information #4). If a couple or family has purchased multiple adjoining plots, one headstone may be installed centered between the plots, and each plot may have their own footstone.
     

  • All monuments must be installed by a Board approved monument company that is responsible for installation procedures, and they must be placed on concrete foundations. (Refer to Information #4)
     

  • ALL MONUMENTS AND WORK ABOVE GROUND MUST BE OF GRANITE OR MARBLE. STANDARD COLORS ARE WHITE OR GRAY, OTHER COLORS, INCLUDING BLACK, ARE NOT PERMITTED. A few old scenes imprinted into the stone are NOT permitted. Only names and dates of birth and death, and a scripture verse or personal sentiment will be approved by the Board.
     

  • Temporary low profile bronze markers are permitted with prior Board approval.
     

  • The deceased's family or representative is responsible for keeping their headstones clean and repairing any damage to the headstone, while paying all expenses. Only a monument company approved by the Board must be used. Refer to Information #4.
     

  • If a family desires any monument to be installed FOR FUTURE USE, they must have prior Board approval to ensure correct placement and ensure that current monument restrictions are being followed, with special emphasis on Rule # 7 (ASQvp). At least, one Board Member must be present at these installations TO ASSURE CORRECT LOCATION. A member of the family should also be present.
     

  • All installations that do not follow LCA'S 2025 Rules and Regulations must be removed by the deceased's family, at their expense, within 6 months of notification by the LCA Board of Trustees.
     

  • These new restrictions are posted on the LynchburgcemeteryandChurch.com Website. Should a family have concerns, questions, or need more explanations, please email us at info@lynchburgcemeteryandchurch.com Also, our Officers and Board Members may also be contacted directly by text or by cell phone.

ii.GRAVESITS STANDERDS

General Appearance:

  • A vault or other permanent grave liner is required for each burial. All graves must be covered with grass. Gravel or other ground cover is not permitted. Burial sites that are "sinking", due to age, or for any reason, must be filled to ground level by the ancestors of the deceased.
     

  • No fences, coping, borders, or enclosures of any kind are allowed, beginning in December 2025. These may be removed without permission of the family, when discovered.
     

  • Small American Flags (maximum size of 8∘×12∘8∘×12∘) may be placed for the two weeks surrounding Memorial Day, Independence Day (July 4), and Veteran’s Day. Faded or tattered flags may be removed.
     

  • Small yard flags (maximum size 12.5∘×18.5∘12.5∘×18.5∘) are allowed to be installed close to the headstone at a gravesite for deceased’s birthdays, Mother’s and Fathers’ Day, the anniversary of their death and for any family special occasion. After 2 months or anytime they become faded, the family will be responsible for removing or replacing them.
     

  • Only one floral arrangement is allowed per grave, unless there is an older headstone with two permanently attached containers.
     

  • Arrangements must be securely anchored or placed in weighted containers. No saddles attached to headstones’ tops are permitted.
     

  • Faded, loose, or damaged arrangements will be removed and disposed of.
     

  • Artificial plants, greenery, and flowers should be used because there is no water supply to keep “live” material growing. Flower colors will be in the same color scheme as is found in nature, such as white, pink, yellow, orange, purple, and green. “Hot” pinks or bright blues or any bright colors that would not be found in a natural garden are not acceptable. No sequins or decorations that are not a resemblance of a natural garden are allowed.
     

  • Potted flowers are allowed: Roses, Dec., LF, PROPERLY SECURED.
     

  • At Christmas (December 1 to January 15), live or artificial wreaths are allowed if attached securely to a florist stand and the stand is firmly put into the ground, with no movement with the wind.
     

  • On or around January 15-20 of each year, LCA assists and hires the groundskeeper to remove all Christmas decorations and dispose of them off site.
     

  • The following items are NOT permitted and will be removed without notice:
    Lights (including Christmas lights), signs, balloons, statues exceeding 9" in height, windchimes, birdbaths, Styrofoam, glass, jars, bottles, cans, shepherd’s hooks, Christmas trees exceeding 24" in height, ornaments (glass or plastic forbidden), gardens, toys, any paper material, whirligigs, trinkets, and tchotchkes.
     

  • The LCA assumes no responsibility for damage or removal of items left at gravesites.
     

  • All planting of trees, shrubs, or flowers must receive prior approval from the Board, and only slow growing plants should be considered. If their growth requires pruning or extra work for the groundskeeper, the Board may request that they be removed by the family who installed them.
     

  • Families are responsible for bringing in water to maintain any plantings on their plot. The groundskeeper has permission to remove any planting that is not thriving.
     

  • The Board reserves the right to prune or remove any plantings that overhang plot lines, interfere with burials, become unsightly, diseased, or are dying.

iii.CURRENT AND “FUTURE UPKEEP” PROVIDED BY LCA

  • Mowing and maintaining grass as needed (without artificial watering).
     

  • Attempted weed control and attempted fire ant control done by licensed professionals.
     

  • Removal of large debris, such as downed limbs and ALL OBJECTS AND ARRANGEMENTS THAT MAY BE REGARDED AS INCONSISTENT WITH THE HISTORICAL CHARACTER OF THE CEMETERY. (See #18- #27 above).
     

  • Duties of the Groundskeeper are outlined and filed in “Job Descriptions”. The Groundskeeper reports directly to the President of the LCA.

ABOUT US

The Lynchburg Cemetery Association, Inc. is a registered South Carolina nonprofit corporation in good standing with the Secretary of State. Recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(13) organization, the Association is dedicated to the care and preservation of the Lynchburg Cemetery and historic church building, located on Highway 341 in South Lynchburg. As a nonprofit cemetery corporation, contributions to the Association are tax-deductible, similar to donations made to 501(c)(3) charities.

 

The church, originally known as the Lynchburg Presbyterian Church, first opened its doors in 1855 and served the community for more than a century. While regular Sunday services ended in the early 1980s due to declining membership, the building and cemetery remain a vital part of Lynchburg’s heritage, overseen today by the Association’s Board of Trustees.

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CONTACT

To reserve a burial plot, or a Cremation Garden place, a downpayment is required, or for information about reserving a plot at a later date, please contact our Treasurer, Ms.Janet Harker at PO Box 66, Lynchburg, SC 29080. If a death has occurred, have your chosen funeral home director contact Ms. Harker directly. All of the local area’s funeral homes have her “immediate contact” information. This is how the process will be started.


For emergencies, call the Lynchburg City Office (803-437-2933) or the Lee County Sheriff (911 or 803-494-5353)

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For general information: info@lynchburgcemeteryandchurch.com

LOCATION AND MAP

The Lynchburg Cemetery and Church is located in South Lynchburg, Lee County, South Carolina. The church sits along Lynchburg Highway (State Highway 341). This historic site was founded in 1855 and occupies a three-acre lot, with the cemetery situated behind the church. It contains graves that date back to the mid-nineteenth century.

Both the church and cemetery are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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