The Last Link to a Bygone Era: Civil War Mausoleum To Be Restored

It’s difficult to envision a cemetery that was once “the center of town life,” but the grounds at Zion Chapel on Hilton Head Island (off the coast of South Carolina) was just that. The cemetery was the heart of the island’s settlements in the pre-Civil War period until Union soldiers invaded in 1861 and was the final resting place of numerous Civil War soldiers.

The cemetery has weathered the last 165 years, but now its historic Banyard Mausoleum is on the brink of collapsing, and the Heritage Library Foundation hopes to raise $175,000 for renovations. The group intends to preserve the historic antebellum architecture of the structure, which is the island’s oldest and only surviving building from the Civil War period. It houses the remains of affluent planter William Eddings Banyard and his family. The marble-covered crypt holds 21 burial chambers that are still intact, though only seven people were interred within.

Banyard Mausoleum Design

The mausoleum displays a classic architectural style with clean lines, red sandstone, and a triangular limestone roof with slabs weighing 1,200 to 1,500 pounds. Nowadays, an overgrowth of vines covers the sandstone walls and leaks in the roof prompted cemetery caretakers to cover it with a tarp. While the marble veneer of the crypt remains, grave robbing has left historians with only one partial coffin made of copper. The Heritage Library Foundation hopes to secure funds to repair the roof and seal the sandstone, as well as install a Plexiglass door and add a fence and benches.

Preserving History

The fact that historians and architects have taken great interest in restoring the Banyard Mausoleum and so many other historic mausoleums speaks to our collective desire to preserve the past for future generations. Heritage Foundation Director Linda Piekut not only intends to renovate the Banyard Mausoleum, she also wants to turn the site into an “antebellum-era learning center,” where visitors learn about Hilton Head Island’s Civil War history.

Thinking about oneself as a historical figure like William Eddings Banyard is an odd concept, but it’s one everyone should consider. The respect people have for historic mausoleums demonstrates our human desire to be connected with the past in order to inform the present and future. Mausoleums aren’t simply beautiful buildings; they’re history in the making. A century from now, what will people think about my mausoleum design? How will it teach future generations about the era in which we now live?

Consider how you want your story to be told through your private mausoleum. Then, work with an expert Forever Legacy designer to create your lasting legacy. Request a Consultation Now.