Note that there is no grass in the cemetery. The reason for grassless cemeteries is found in a paper by Rebecca K. Cottle: “Cemetery Siting in the Blustone Reservation Area, Summer County, West Virginia: 1750-1997” (page 17).

“Mounding of the graves was also thought to prevent water from entering the grave and the top soil was removed in some cemeteries to discourage growth of vegetation. In the era before gasoline-powered engines or lawn equipment, scraping of the top soil made cemetery maintenance easier.”