This is the site of the Sellman family’s cemetery. Generations of Sellmans lived and died at Woodlawn from 1735 to the early 1900s.

In 1954, three of the gravestones were moved to nearby All Hallows Cemetery.
Left image: Colonel Alfred Sellman (1797–1854) may have been buried here. (Courtesy of the Maryland Center for History and Culture)
Image below: This footstone, carved with the initials “A. S.,” possibly marked the grave of Colonel Alfred Sellman or his wife, Ann Sellman, who lived at Woodlawn House in the 1800s. (Courtesy of Tuck Hines)
Image above: Several Sellman family members are buried nearby at All Hallows cemetery. (Courtesy of Jan Power, All Hallows Parish)
Image above: Sellman family gravestones at All Hallows Cemetery, including Colonel Alfred Sellman (1797–1854) (left) and his wife, Ann Sellman (1803–1843) (right). Courtesy of Christine Dunham.

What did archaeologists find here?
While investigating the Sellman family cemetery, archaeologists found a footstone carved with the initials “A. S.” and possible signs of brick burial vaults. Please treat burial sites with respect.

Non-Invasive Techniques
SERC has worked with the Maryland Historical Trust to use ground-penetrating radar to scan areas for potential graves without having to dig. Ground-penetrating radar works by sending a signal into the ground, which bounces off any buried materials to create a picture of what’s underground.
Right image: A ground-penetrating radar image showing a possible grave site.

Human-Remains Detection Dogs
Specially trained dogs have a remarkable ability to detect human remains, even when those buried remains are hundreds of years old. SERC worked with Heather Roche of Bay Area Recovery Canines and her dogs to detect potential grave sites on SERC’s campus, including the Sellman family cemetery.
Above & above right images: Human-remains detection dogs led SERC staff to the Sellman family cemetery, indicating that remains may still be buried here. (Courtesy of Tuck Hines and Christine Dunham)

Cemetery Plants
Families often planted periwinkle and eastern red cedar trees at historic cemeteries in the region. These plants remain green year-round, representing everlasting life. The eastern red cedar is sometimes called the “graveyard tree.”
Image: Periwinkle (Kaprisova/Shutterstock)
Image: Eastern Red Cedar (Marinodenisenko/Shutterstock)