Wilson’s Chapel – Discovered 2023 

Conda Painter, Asheville third generation native, was credited on the front page of the Asheville Citizen-Times for uncovering the cemetery of Wilson’s Chapel AME church, dating back to 1884. This discovery marked the culmination of decades of research by Conda and her late father, Richard Painter. Their investigation started with a neighborhood rumor in the 1970s that was shared by an elderly neighbor during a summer porch gathering for the neighborhood kids. The 87-year-old neighbor said “I remember a rumor about an old colored people cemetery being somewhere in the neighborhood, but never knew where it was located.” Recently found was an old newspaper clipping hinting at the church’s financial struggles, suggesting that perhaps not all of the 100-plus graves were relocated.

The story took a new turn when Roveen Enterprise commenced the demolition of the car wash at 680 Haywood Road in January 2021 for a new building. Conda raised awareness by sharing the 2006 Mountain Xpress article, “Rising from the Grave,” on social media, for which she had been interviewed and shed light on her family’s research. Concerns about the property’s future quickly spread as the old article resurfaced.  

After hearing about Conda’s research extending even back into her teen years, the Asheville City Council intervened, halting Roveen Enterprise’s development plans and initiating an investigation. This led to an archaeological dig in April, which confirmed the presence of burial plots at the old car wash site. and also the previous location of the old Bon ton cleaners. 

On June 16, 2023, evidence of these graves was officially confirmed when human remains were discovered, thanks in part to the dedication of archaeologist Tasha Benyshek, who believed in Conda’s research and led the dig.

Contributed by Conda Painter, August 2024.