Hall Cemetery

The Cemetery: The Cemetery within South Cove County Park dates back to 1833, starting with the burial of Jesse Hall. In the 18th & 19th centuries, families often buried their loved ones on their property due to the difficulty & expense of transporting bodies to distant church cemeteries. In 2020, South County Park, Duke Energy, the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), and the Hall family collaborated to locate & document the cemetery. Using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) & probing, 46 graves were identified. Jesse Hall’s grave, marked by the only headstone with original engravings, uncovered & restored. Oconee Veterans Affairs provided a replacement headstone, & the SAR & DAR installed a marker. While many of the graves are believed to belong to the Hall family, they may also include members of the Hagood, Gignilliat, Mickler, Evans, Harshaw, Miller & Dupree families, who later owned the property.

Jesse Hall (1755-1833). Jesse Hall, born in Virginia in 1755, was the eldest of 18 children. As a young man, he established a farm in Wilkes County, North Carolina, but left in 1776 to join the Continental Army. Serving under Lieutenant George Dougherty, he fought in several key battles, including in the Battle of Brier Creek, GA on March 3, 1779 & then the Battle of Stono Ferry, SC on June 20, 1779. Captured by the British in 1780 during the Siege of Charleston, Hall was paroled with the condition that he would not rejoin the fight. However, after returning home to find his property destroyed & the area active with British Loyalists, he re-enlisted. He then fought in the Battle of Cowpens, SC on January 17, 1781, Battle of Guilford Courthouse, NC on March 15, 1781, Siege of Ninety-Six, SC May-June 1781, and Battle of Eutaw Springs, SC on September 8, 1781. Jesse received his discharge from the Army on May 9, 1782.
War Bounty. After his service in the Revolutionary War, Jesse Hall received land as a bounty from the government, settling on what is now South Cove County Park. This area, known as Bounty Land, was part of a broader region granted to veterans in recognition of their service. When Jesse passed away in 1833, he left the property to his son, Thomas Hall, with the condition that his mother & four siblings be allowed to continue living there.
Thomas later sold part of the land to his brother, Zachariah, who aimed to develop it into a large farm. The farm also served as a militia muster ground in the early 1800s. However, in 1868, the land was auctioned due to unpaid taxes & purchased by the Hagood & Gignillat families. Some parcels were later repurchased by Jesse’s grandson, John Hall.
Over the years, the property has changed hands several times, owned by families including the Micklers, Evans, Harshaws, Millers & Duprees. Each left their mark on the landscape. Today, Duke Energy owns the land, & it is leased to Oconee County as a public park for all to enjoy.

Located in Oconee South Cove County Park