Pilgrim Reformed Church Cemetery
Also known as: Dv-351
Why it's listed
Pilgrim Reformed Church Cemetery, on a three-acre site near Lexington in Davidson County, contains about 350 gravestones. Roughly 150 were cut from local stone by local craftsmen. The congregation, dating to about 1757 and described as the earliest Lutheran congregation in the county, had access to all the major stonecutters in the area, so the burial ground includes examples of all seven significant regional gravestone schools. The finest group is thirteen stones attributed to David Sowers, who belonged to the church until he left the county in 1835. Many markers are carved from lighter gray soapstone, including the Pierced Style stones, while a few are dark, dense stone resembling slate. Professional marble stones appear only from about 1850. The cemetery was listed for its collection of highly decorative folk gravestones with symbols of resurrection and eternity, made between the late 1700s and mid-1800s, and for holding nearly all known Sowers stones in his Fraktur Style.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the cemetery holds a unique collection of folk gravestones carved by local stonecutters in the late eighteenth and first half of the nineteenth centuries. The decorated soapstone markers with folk symbols of resurrection and eternity represent the height of folk art among the Anglo-German farmers of north Davidson County. It also contains almost all known gravestones attributed to master stonecutter David Sowers.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 84002145, listed July 10, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SR 1843, Lexington |
|---|---|
| County | Davidson County |
| Listed | July 10, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002145 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1700-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Stonecutters listed as unknown; gravestones attributed to David Sowers and John Rickard |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition marked deteriorated but unaltered and on its original site; present use is cemetery. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 35.85281, -80.21736 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 84002145.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18388587
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.