HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — It is National Volunteer Week and 200 Henrico County employees spent time cleaning three historical Black cemeteries that needed attention and upkeep.
The cemeteries were developed in the era of Jim Crow segregation and had fallen into disrepair due to vandalism and years of unchecked vegetative growth, according to the county.
The volunteer crew began the beautification process on Thursday. They trimmed branches, and cleared weeds and overgrowth from a section of the 30,000 graves at the 29-acre Woodland Cemetery.
Crews mowed, edged and chain sawed at St. James Cemetery and will move to Sons and Daughters of Ham Cemetery Saturday.
