Shannon Cemetery
Also known as: VDHR file no.035-5028
Why it's listed
Two burial grounds on neighboring ridges above Big Walker Creek in Giles County make up this cemetery near Pearisburg. The white section, begun in 1781 with the burial of two-year-old Ann Shannon, was established by settler Thomas Reid Shannon and is believed to be the oldest maintained cemetery in the county. Its markers include plain fieldstones, folk-carved stones with star designs, professionally carved marble monuments, and twentieth-century granite and concrete markers. The Black section, founded in the nineteenth century, was a burial ground for people enslaved by the Shannon family and probably by neighboring slaveholders. Roughly forty-five graves are visible, mostly marked by uninscribed fieldstones or depressions, and burials continued into the early 1960s. The site is one of the few community resources tied to the county's historic rural African American population. Its monuments show local craft traditions alongside wider memorial fashions, and it was recognized for its association with settlement and ethnic history and for its memorial art.
Significance in brief: The cemetery is significant under Criteria A and C for its link to ethnic history and settlement in Giles County and for the variety and quality of its memorial art. The Black section was a burial ground for the Shannon family's enslaved people and is one of few resources tied to the county's rural African American community. The grave markers range from fieldstones and folk-carved stones to professionally carved marble and granite monuments.
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 06000350, listed May 4, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of VA 42 and 100, Pearisburg |
|---|---|
| County | Giles County |
| Listed | May 4, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000350 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | Ca. 1800-1955 |
| Architect / builder | Spyker, B. F. (tombstone carver) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art, Exploration/Settlement, Black |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The white section remains in use, with burials as recent as 2001. The Black section is overgrown and no longer in use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.21800, -80.74135 (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 06000350.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14713197
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.