Law director: Families should have access to cemeteries
At the request of the Anderson County Operations Committee, County Law Director James L. Brooks has asked The Windrock Land Company to allow descendants access to three cemeteries located on its property.
Brooks’ letter to the company was included in the agenda for the Aug. 18 County Commission meeting.
He said Windrock has installed a locked gate at the intersection of New River Highway and an old mining road.
Beyond that point are Aslinger Cemetery, Matt Phillips Cemetery and a third cemetery he did not name.
“Descendants of the family members buried in these cemeteries have used this road as an access easement for over 100 years,” Brooks wrote. “The right of individuals to visit the cemeteries to visit the graves and for the purpose of repairing, beautifying and protecting the graves and grounds around the same is clear and unequivocal. For these purposes, the law grants an easement to them for ingress and egress from New River Highway, the public road which is nearest to the cemeteries.”
