The Neel Cemetery

The Neel Cemetery is located in Gap Mills, of Monroe County, West Virginia. From Route 3, turn onto the Zenith Road. Travel approximately 1/4 mile and then turn left onto the Rowan Road.

You will travel approximately 0.7 miles up this road, just before a very sharp curve to the left [if you come to the curve, you've gone too far!], when you will see a small clump of very old trees in the middle of a rather large field. [Here you can see the trees from the road.] You will need to pull your vehicle as far off the road as possible, and hike to the cemetery. [Watch for burrows and other critter holes, as well as long ago plowed furrows!]

This view is at approximately half-way between the road and the cemetery. You can just begin to see the top edge of the memorial cairn in the center of the trees here.

Here you can see the southern side of the memorial cairn, as you approach from the road.

As you approach, you will see a couple of tombstones to the right [east] of the memorial cairn.

Facing northwest toward the memorial cairn.

The front of the memorial cairn, with its' plaque commemorating the Maxwell sisters and their husbands, who all but one are buried here.

The Memorial Plaque [Placed about ca. 1905-1910.]

ANDREW CROSIER

ELIZABETH MAXWELL CROSIER

ROBERT DUNBAR

HANNAH MAXWELL DUNBAR

OWEN NEEL

ISABELLA MAXWELL NEEL

THOMAS STEELE

MARGARET MAXWELL STEELE

THE FOUR MAXWELL SISTER AND

THEIR HUSBANDS CAME FROM LANCASTER

COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, AND SETTLED

IN THIS VALLEY ABOUT 1799. THIS IS

THE RESTING PLACE OF ALL THESE PIONEERS

EXCEPT ANDREW CROSIER WHO DIED IN

TENNESSEE.

The four Maxwell sisters and their husbands are considered some of the original settlers into "Gap Valley" [now known as Sweet Springs Valley and Gap Mills].

The remainder of the cemetery will follow tomorrow.