PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – The Megasite at Berry Hill in Pittsylvania County is one of the largest redevelopment sites in the Commonwealth.
But the land also sits on the site of several plantations and farms that contain the remains of hundreds of former slaves and tenant farmers.
Not far from where crews are working to clear the land for major development, other crews are working to exhume remains.
The ruins of the Oak Hill Plantation are more than just remnants of the past; they are a poignant reminder of history for people like Dean Hairston. As a family historian and descendant of those who once worked the land, Hairston reflects on the emotions stirred by the site.
“It comes back, and it brings what if I had been here during that time. What was life like? What were the aspirations? What were the fears of the people who were here? What were their hopes? Did they ever have a hope for freedom?” Hairston said.
Hairston is among the descendants of many who toiled on the plantation for decades, with many also laid to rest there. This discovery was unexpected for economic development officials eager to redevelop the land to boost the region’s economy.
“Everyone had a conversation of what do we do moving forward? What does that look like,” said Matt Rowe, director of economic development for Pittsylvania County.
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After years of meetings, families and the Regional Industrial Facility Authority (RIFA) agreed to begin the process of exhuming and relocating the remains to a new site next to the Oak Hill Cemetery on the former plantation property.
“Having RIFA come in combination with the city and the county and coming in and purchasing the land and saving it, was a huge, huge benefit to the family,” Hairston said.
Jeffery Bennett, a descendant of the Adams family who lived on the plantation, shares that more remains have been discovered than initially anticipated—more than 250 and counting.
He’s pleased the families were included families' in the process.
“We noticed there were several instances just in this state where people found out after the fact that their families' graves had been built over or desecrated,” he told 10 News.
Bennett was one of the descendants who was able to recently observe crews who are exhuming the remains. He was struck by some of the discoveries.
“The young children and the infants, it’s really with all the disease back then, not having vaccines and everything, it’s heartbreaking for me. What we’re learning with this process is we’re able to rediscover things that were in the coffins, such as coffin jewelry.”
The families plan to hold a dedication ceremony later this year, honoring the past while looking forward to a bright future for the site and the region.
