Memorial Day is just over a month away, and in Danville’s Springhill Cemetery workers have been busy preserving some history. Lon Henderson, a member of the cemetery board, says they noticed four Civil War cannons at Soldiers Circle needed some improvements…
{AUDIO: ‘’Thanks to Jackie Gumm from the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the American Legion Riders of Post 210 here in Danville – they provided the financial resources so that we could put new concrete pads in and re-do the mortars.’’}
Each cannon weighs about 2,000 pounds so Pete Powell donated his time and equipment to move them. Once new concrete slabs were done and the cannons painted – Powell returned to help maintenance workers move them back to their original resting place.
Henderson described those who are buried in the circle…
{‘’These soldiers that are buried here were either from the Civil War – primarily, initially it was started as an area for the Civil War. Lately we have had soldiers that served in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. There has not been a burial here since 1957. And we do have some people who are interested in perhaps putting the ashes of their loved ones, who were also Veterans, here at Soldiers Circle.’’}
Henderson added some other improvements are also being made in the area with work expected to be done by Memorial Day…
{AUDIO: ‘’We’re just trying to, again, bring back some of the history – renovation of the cemetery to back to its old glory from the 1860s.’’}
Soldiers Circle is located in the section of Springhill Cemetery that is south of Voorhees Street in Danville. A date on the front of each cannon shows the year they were made in the early 1860s.
