PUBLIC NOTICE: Memorial Ceremony for School Site Cemetery

Prince William County Public Schools will conduct a respectful re-interment ceremony for the graves discovered at the 12th high school construction site. The public is invited to attend. The ceremony will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday September 6th, 2014. Since the graves are located on an active construction site and parking is a concern, we are requiring that all attendees meet before 9:45 AM at the Edward Kelly Leadership Center 14715 Bristow Road, Manassas, VA 20112. Bus transportation will be provided from there to the ceremony site. Please do not drive to the high school site or enter the Independence Drive community to attend this ceremony.

Prince William County Public Schools looks forward to this burial ceremony as we honor those being re-interred. Thank you for your cooperation.

So that we can plan appropriately, please kindly provide notice of your plans to attend on or before August 25th, 2014 by calling 703-791-7308.

The cemetery discovered on the 12th High School construction site is believed to be that of William and Cordelia Lynn and members of their family, who owned the land from the 1850's through 1899.  (They are also my gggreat-grandparents.)

As noted on the PWCS public announcement, the remains and artifacts from the 11 graves have already been reinterred at the new cemetery site approximately 900 yards from the original cemetery.  To my knowledge, no family members or clergy were present for the actual reburial.  I have been assured by PWCS officials that this was for safety reasons because of the ongoing construction and heavy equipment close at hand.

The ceremony on Saturday, September 6th is being planned as a memorial and cemetery dedication.

~Cgl