historic cemetery

Stafford County has paused a 99-acre data center project due to concerns about building over a historic cemetery containing graves of enslaved residents. The project, part of the Potomac Creek Development on Eskimo Hill Road, includes a 1700s-era cemetery with marked and unmarked graves. The board deferred a decision to allow an archaeological survey to assess burial sites before proceeding.

Lafayette city council aims for an end-of-June decision on a dispute over its historic cemetery, where a temporary moratorium on casket burials was imposed in late 2025 due to inconsistencies between records and physical findings. Community pushback emerged after the city proposed limiting burials and offering refunds or transfers, prompting officials to reconsider solutions. A ground-penetrating radar study highlighted concerns about excavation risks but did not support an outright closure.