The first Brethren meeting house at Linville Creek was built in 1828 on a parcel
of land donated by Elder John Kline in 1825 Elder John Kline was a Brethren missionary
and large landowner in the Broadway community. Two years later in 1830, he deeded
another acre and one-half to the church. This parcel became the oldest section of the
Linville Creek Cemetery. In 1834 the church trustees hired David Fesler, a stone mason,
to construct a stone wall around part of this parcel. It was extended to Daphna Road in
1852 when Elder Kline deeded two more acres for use by the cemetery.

Many prominent leaders in the establishment of the Brethren Church as well as
leaders of the Broadway community are buried in the Linville Creek Cemetery. The
oldest section contains the gravestones for Elder John Kline and his family including his
wife Anna Wampler Kline, his parents John and Mary Kline, and the families of his
brother George and sister Elizabeth Kline Zigler. Other notable Brethren leaders found
there include Peter and Barbara Yount, Daniel Miller, and M. R. Zigler,

Most likely because of a directive by a Brethren Annual Conference in the 1890’s
to take care of the poor and needy, early church ledgers designated one section of the
expanded cemetery to the “poor and needy”. There are only four markers standing in
that area. These are all for African Americans who lived in Broadway following the Civil
War. In 1980, Elders M. R. Zigler and Elder Samuel D. Lindsay placed a granite
memorial marker on the plot which read in part: “dedicated this parcel of land for the
burial of black people.” More recently, a study group appointed by Linville Creek
Church of the Brethren researched the plot and determined through Ground Penetrating
Radar Tests the existence of multiple grave sites. Further research concluded that while
there were other African Americans buried in the cemetery, there is no evidence that all
those buried in this parcel were black. An informational sign has been placed next to the
memorial marker reflecting the findings of this group.

Over the years, the Church has added and maintained even more acreage and
installed a second access road from Daphna Road. In 1969 the Church purchased 4.5
acres east of Daphna Road that has been developed and lots are now ready for
purchase. This cemetery is known as the Linville Creek Church of the Brethren East
Cemetery.

Today, the Cemetery has expanded its operation and management with the
support of purchased cemetery management software. During this process, the entire
existing cemetery and the new East Cemetery were mapped by drone GPS technology
and was overlayed with the specific row and lot information. All existing gravesites have
been identified by name and relevant information downloaded into the software. This
software has greatly improved the ability to manage available lots for sale and to look
up burial sites by name.

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The cemetery is open daily to the public and closed after dark. The Church
Historical Committee is available to schedule a guided cemetery tour of the historical
section. If you have any questions, or interest in purchasing a lot, or would like to
schedule a tour of the historical section for the cemetery, please contact the Church
office at 540-896-5001. Donations for the perpetual care of our cemetery may be sent
to the Church at 409 Brethren Road, Broadway, Virginia 22815.

The Cemetery has established Flower and Memorial Placement Guidelines for
honoring those buried in our cemetery. These guidelines are available through this site.

We give credit to the Church’s Historical Committee for their many historical
documents that were used for this message. Tours of the Church Museum are available
by appointment.

Additionally, we give credit to Charity Derrow, whose extensive research and
publishing of her findings for a research paper was invaluable. A copy of her paper, The
Barrenness of a Cemetery, Examining Patterns of a Fragmented African American
Community in Broadway, Virginia. is available through this site.