Two Founding Families | One Gravestone Restoration

Most people walk past cemeteries without realizing what they really are. They are outdoor museums, filled with the stories of the people who built our communities. In this video, we restore the gravestone of Nancy Jane Roddey Black, a woman whose name connects two founding families of Rock Hill, South Carolina. Her maiden name, Roddey, and her married name, Black, are both carved into her stone, quietly telling a story that also appears on one of Rock Hill’s earliest historical markers. Rock Hill began as a village in 1851, surveyed by John “Squire” Roddey on land owned by Alexander Templeton Black. This gravestone sits at the intersection of that history. As we repair and reset her memorial, we explore why cemeteries matter, not just as places of remembrance, but as spaces for learning, preservation, and understanding where we come from. When stones fall, stories fade. Restoring them helps keep history upright. #CemeteryRestoration #HistoricCemeteries #OutdoorMuseum #PreservingHistory #LocalHistory #RockHillSC #YorkCountySC #SouthCarolinaHistory #FoundingFamilies #HistoricMarkers #HiddenHistory #ForgottenStories #HistoryMatters #Genealogy #PublicHistory #FootprintsOfTheForgotten #BackUpright