History of the Martin-Coleman-Wade cemetery contributed by Rebecca Reuben Dyer.

The Martin-Coleman-Wade cemetery is located at the intersection of Henry Road and Dyer Lane in Henry, Franklin County, Virginia. Early on the cemetery was referred to as the Dyer Cemetery by locals, even though, at this point in time, there is no evidence of Dyers being buried there - or having owned the property.

One family historian noted a few years back the fence marking the area for the cemetery had been illegally moved and the markers for the slave cemetery, once neatly marked in a separate section of the cemetery, had been strewn in the neighboring cow pasture. It was again vandalized in the summer of 2013 by neighborhood boys. Over the years, many stones have been misplaced, broken, or removed. Other markers are soapstone and have no inscription. The oldest readable marker in the cemetery is that of Jane H. Miles Walker. She died 09 Nov 1889. It is believed her husband, the prominent minister Arnold Walker, may be buried there as well. He died in 1866. It is also possible that the first husband of Jane H. Miles may be buried there; James Martin died in 1842. Additionally at least one of his children with Jane Miles is buried in the cemetery.

Even though the land had been a cemetery for a number of years for the allied families of the Martins, Colemans and Wades, the owners of the property wanted to formalize the use of the land and protect it. On 3 Oct 1923, Milton Irvin Martin and his wife Bessie Lee East sold their farm of 122 acres to W. B. Meadors EXCEPTING 1760 square yards of land with the right of ingress/egress designated for the sole purpose of family burials. The land transaction is recorded in the Franklin County courthouse in Rocky Mount, Virginia.

As an added note of interest, the cemetery bordered the Old Carolina Road and, indeed, a section of this historical road bed can be seen from the cemetery today. During its peak use, it was reported that one could stand in front of the nearby Obediah White Stage Stop and see Conestoga wagons traveling up and down the Carolina Road for "as far as the eye could see."

Plans are for a cemetery sign to be placed in the near future.

Franklin County, VA GIS Parcel ID 1120011200

Owner CEMETERY