Established by The Harley Family 1870Location: Along State Road # 249 between State Roads # 25 & # 248 in Dorchester, SC.
Originally, this Cemetery was known as The Harley Burying Ground. The first grave was that of Sarah Florence Harley, the 20 year old daughter of Dr. Thomas J. Harley and his wife, Sarah Harley, who died in 1870. The grave was near the home of Dr. T. J. Harley on his land. For many years after 1870 members of the Harley families living in the area used this as their place of burial. Several years after the death of Dr. Thomas J. Harley in 1880 the heirs moved away and the old burying ground fell into very bad condition and grew up in trees, bushes, vines, with many tombstones being broken.
In 1926, Dr. Timothy W. Harley, who had lived in Charleston for many years, was laid to rest beside his wife Excy, who had died in 1887 at the age of 27 years, and their children, Mary Ella (1864-1871) and Furman (1878-1885). This burial brought about renewed interest in the Harley Burying Ground, and Dr. Govan B. Harley, who lived in Dorchester, instigated plans for cleaning up the old cemetery and establishing what is now the Dorchester Cemetery. Dr. G. B. Harley was buried there in July 1949, and soon afterward one and one-forth (1 1/4) acres were cleaned up. In July 1963 this plot of land was deeded by the family of the late Mr. J. Marion Clayton to the trustees, S. W. Clayton, W. A. Pate, and F. W. All of The Dorchester Cemetery, as a place of public burial. In June 1964 the Men's Bible Class of Salem Methodist Church purchased adjacent one and one-half (1 ½) acres of land from Mrs. Martha Jean Campbell. A chain link fence was erected around the entire two and three-fourths (2 3/4) acres, with red brick columns with the name, "The Dorchester Cemetery, Established by The Harley Family 1870" inserted, which support the North and West double gates. Our Cemetery is organized, with rules and regulations, planned and platted, with the same active trustees promoting the continued upkeep and beautification of a peaceful resting place for our family and friends of this community. Sybil Harley PateRecorded in Deed Book 11, pp 19-21, Dorchester County, SC: "The State of South Carolina, Whereas, Thomas J. Harley formerly of Rosses Station, in the County of Dorchester, and state aforesaid, departed this life on or about the 15th April 1882, intestate, leaving as his heirs at law and distributees, his widow, Eudora M. Harley, and two daughters, Fetuah Lucretia Harley, and Thomas Etta McCarrel (born Harley) . . . are the owners in fee of a tract of land containing about fifty acres . . . situate at said Rosses Station, (now Dorchester Post Office), . . . desire to convey to Oscar D. Sires and Arthus S. Coburn . . . 2 1/4 Acres . . . Plat by J. H. Knight, Civil Engineer, dated 11th April 1907 . . . which tract is lettered "B" on attached plat." Recorded April 29th, 1907.Copyists: Sybil H. Pate, Lillian H. Harley.
*Thomas Arthur Bailey
Dec. 26, 1929
Oct. 17, 1954
South Carolina
1st Lt. Co K 31 Inf.
7th Inf. Div. KoreaA. H. Harley
Mar. 25, 1813
Feb. 20, 1891
Robert Alvin Harley
Sept. 29, 1908
Sept. 17, 1961
Annie Lee Nelson Clayton
July 21, 1899
Nov. 15, 1967 - Wife of
John Marion Clayton
Cornelia Ann Noble
DaCosta Harley (Wife
of Andrew Hall Harley)
1826 - 1899
(m. 1st Aaron DaCosta)
(m. 2nd A. H. Harley) Sarah Harley
1816 - 1876 (Wife of
Dr. T. J. Harley)
Arthur L. Clayton
1891 - 1966 Excy Harley - Wife of
T. W. Harley
Dec. 2, 1849
Jan. 27, 1877
Aged 27 yrs. 11 mos. 7 daysSarah Florence - The only
daughter of Dr. T. J. &
Sarah Harley
April 26th 1850
March 29, 1870
John Marion Clayton
Nov. 12, 1894
July 5, 1963
Gladys Burton Harley
Mar. 31, 1907
Oct. 3, 1958 (Wife of
Robert A. Harley - 2nd;
Wife of Ralph Turner - 1st )
Dr. T. J. Harley
1804 - 1880Joseph Horace Clayton
Mar. 8, 1923
June 27, 1972
G. B. Harley (M. D.)
Jan. 28, 1863
July 28, 1949
*Timothy W. Harley, M. D.
Confederate War Veteran
April 1, 1843
May 6, 1926
Father
Sunie Bell Clayton
1896 - 1978 (Wife of
Arthur L. Clayton)
James Furman - Son of
T. W. & Excy A. Harley
Sept. 21st 1878
June 21st 1885
I. Shep Hutto
Sept. 28, 1878
May 1, 1952
Jimmie D. Ehler
1954 - 1978
Margaret Geneva Bell
Jan. 18, 1880
Dec. 31, 1965 (Wife of
G. B. Harley, M. D.)
Arthur Mims Moorer
Mar. 10, 1889
Feb. 7, 1965
Linda Keel Ehler
1949 - 1978 (Wife of
Jimmie D. Ehler)
Mary Ella - Dau of
T. W. & Excy Harley
1869 - 1871
"A little bud of love
To bloom with God above."
Bradford Richard Moorer
Born & Died
Feb 20, 1971
"Our Littlest Angel"
Rev. Sherwood S. Ellington
1898 - 1976
Cora Lee Massey Scruggs
Feb. 5, 1886
Nov. 12, 1950 - Wife of
Newsome Scruggs
*Emory P. Pate
1919 - 1977
TEC 5 US Army
World War II
Virginia Dorothy Way Fulton
July 1, 1922
April 14, 1974 Wife of
James C. Fulton
Newsome Scruggs
1885 - 1978
C. Monette Philen
(Dates unknown)
Andrew David Harley
Dec. 9, 1920
Mar. 9, 1923 (Son of
Dr. G. B. & Margaret
G. Bell Harley
Kenneth Gene Thrower
Jan. 18, 1949
Sept. 11, 1967 - Beloved
Son of H. A. Thrower &
Isabel Whetsell Thrower
Clarence Elebash Philen
Oct. 26, 1911
Sept. 9, 1977
"Our Pop-P"
Isla VanNess Scurry Philen
Dec. 25, 1889
Dec. 6, 1967 - Wife of
Curtis M. Philen
James R. Turner
Oct. 22, 1926
Feb. 16, 1953 - (Son of
Ralph & Gladys Burton
Turner)
Harriette Hutto Philen
Sept. 12, 1909
July 7, 1972 - "Habby"
Wife of K. M. Philen
James Alexander Philen
May 16, 1906
May 15, 1967 - Son of
C. M. & I. S. Phillen
George Brickman Way, Sr.
Oct. 4, 1890
July 21, 1935 - Son of
G. H. & S. B. Way
Kirksey Monette Philen
May 8, 1908
Jan. 15, 1971 - "Kirk"
Son of C. M. & I. S.
Philen
George Hutto Way
Oct. 28, 1915
Dec. 1, 1918 - Son of
Mr. & Mrs. G. B. Way, Sr.
Pearl Getsinger Philen
Mar. 20, 1910
Nov. 7, 1973 - Wife of
Clarence Philen
Louise Bertha Way
July 16, 1893
Mar. 28, 1968 - Dau of
David & Laura R. Way
Annie Patrick Pooser
April 9, 1896
Jan. __ 1979 - Wife of
Paul LeRoy Pooser
Ronald S. "Simmie" Way
1949 - 1965
Paul LeRoy Pooser
Sept. 3, 1896
Dec. 19, 1970
Dorothy Mizell Whetsell
Jan. 18, 1949
Sept. 11, 1967
James Clarence Pressley
Mar. 19, 1905
June 5, 1952
Allen Moorer Rawls
Dec. 7, 1949
Aug. 9, 1969
He died as he Lived
A Christian
Raymond Allen Rawls
July 24, 1915
May 20, 1976
F. A. Rhodes
Dec. 21, 1878
Aug. 4, 1967
"A Man Greatly Beloved"
Note: A. H. Harley, his wife, Cornelia Ann (Noble) DaCosta
Harley, and Andrew David Harley were first interred in Zion
Cemetery, later removed to Dorchester Cemetery.
CEMETERY INSCRIPTIONS OF DORCHESTER COUNTY, SC:
© 1979 Lillian
H. Harley, Pattie W. Heaton, Lillian D. Kizer