The Cemetery
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The cemetery offers two ecotypes for burial: prairie grasslands and woodlands. Both types are natural and unpolished, serving natural burial and supporting the wildlife and native habitats typically found in the Piedmont region.
Currently four burial areas are open for burial plot selection and described below. Availability to other fields and woodlands will be made over a phased timeline. Individuals who have completed a Burial Preference Form are invited to make an appointment with us to purchase an interment right in their burial area of choice.
Burial AreasIndividuals can select burial sites from the First Field, the Meadow, Woodlands 1, and the Woodland Edge. Descriptions for each of these areas follows below the map.
First Field
Bluestem’s signature grassland prairie, this six-acre field is the first of nine fields undergoing restoration. It is comprised of native grasses and wildflowers unique to the Piedmont region. The field supports ongoing habitat and conservation practices, including controlled burning on a periodic rotation. Hiking trails in the woods connect with and meander through the prairie, and around the field. The field is edged by Bluestem Road, three Black Walnut trees, and the woodland surrounding the natural sanctuary.
Meadow
Located adjacent to the historic cemetery, this small one-acre field is a thriving example of the restoration work tied to Bluestem’s conservation mission. Bursting with native wildflowers and grasses, it displays excellent examples of Little and Big Bluestem, for which the cemetery is named. The field is in active restoration and will also be managed with controlled burns. The woods surrounding the field offer segments of the hiking network currently under construction. A grass pathway circumnavigates the meadow and connects with the future hiking trail that will lead to the creeks.
Woodland 1
Bluestem's first woodland area undergoing restoration, this shady old growth forest contains fine examples of Christmas fern, spicebush, spring ephemerals and trees such as white and red oaks, shagbark hickory, poplar, hackberry, redbud, dogwood, cedar, and more. Our woodland restoration efforts are focused on invasive removal, thinning of early successional trees, ecological inventory, installing water quality buffers, and accounting for the property’s cultural and agricultural history. Trees that have fallen in the woods, or may fall in the future, blend with the landscape. Siting a particular burial plot is conditional on slope and adjacent tree root systems.
Woodland edge sites are located at the edge of the woods facing the meadow and the northernmost field. Native wildflowers appear on these edges throughout the seasons amidst the spice bush, redbud trees, oaks, hickories and cedars. Early burials have included efforts to tackle the invasive Tree of Heaven in this section of the property. Over time, these gravesites "disappear" behind the abundant crownbeard found along the edges of the woods throughout Bluestem. These are limited sites and require a donation of $2000 to the Bluestem Community Fund in addition to the full cost of the interment right. More information about the fund can be found here.
Areas Not Yet Open for Burial
If your burial preference is for an area of Bluestem not yet open, we recommend identifying an existing site and notifying us of your preferred area at the time of purchase. When new areas become available you will be contacted. If, after purchasing an existing site, you wish to select a different plot, we can make that adjustment as well for a small administrative fee.
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