Lexington hikers clean 70% of Richmond graves

Dennis Bussey set out in Lexington, Virginia, seeking a companion for solitary walks. Fourteen years later, he leads James River Hikers, a group of 5,000 members that combines outdoor recreation with historical preservation in Richmond.

Bussey walked the river alone for a year and a half before seeking partners online. The initial gathering attracted about seven people. "I thought, gosh, I wish I could find someone who would go hiking with me," he said. The organization now describes its mission as hiking with history.

A core function of the group is volunteer maintenance at Shockoe Hill Cemetery. This site holds the remains of notable Virginians, including James Marshall, the fourth chief justice of the United States, Elizabeth Van Lew, a Civil War Union spy and abolitionist, and Dr. William Foushee, Richmond's first mayor.

When the hikers began their work, many headstones were illegible. They received permission from the city to scrub the stones. Bussey noted that Foushee was buried 201 years ago and that his marker was completely black at the time. "Today is the 65th time we were out here cleaning these graves," Bussey stated. The volunteers have cleaned approximately 70% of all stones in the cemetery.

The group meets at the cemetery twice a month to perform this labor. The physical effort requires specific tools and cleaning supplies, creating a recurring financial burden. The organization relies on donations and grants to cover these costs. Without this external funding, the volunteers could not sustain the regular schedule.

Bussey frames the effort as a mutual benefit for the community and the deceased. "Let's go out and honor these folks and do this thing in a right way," he said. "And it's a win-win for everybody."

The group engages in various activities beyond hiking, including social events and historical tours. Bussey emphasized the diversity of their programming. "We do hikes. We do history. We do social things. We do all kinds of things," he said.