An ancient loupin’-on-stane discovered
at Richmond Battlefield Park cemetery

In ancient Scotland, it was called loupin’-on-stane. The American version is mounting block, horse block or mounting stile.

At Richmond’s Battlefield Park, while working on restoration of an old family cemetery (Kincaid family), volunteers unearthed two large stones near the area’s entrance. Obviously not head nor footstones, it finally was determined that the blocks were stones from a pre-Civil War mounting stile.

Linda Ashley, past president of the Battle of Richmond Association (BORA) and an American history specialist, pointed out that such stiles were once common in cemeteries of the period and were used for ladies who rode sidesaddle or pillion to remount a horse after a burial or after visiting a cemetery.

“Most of these old stiles have disappeared since the common use of horses for transportation and have become doorsteps or have been put to some other use elsewhere,” Linda said. “While two stones were left in the Kincaid Cemetery, the top one had disappeared and has no doubt had another useful situation for perhaps a hundred years or so.”

Ben Ramsey, a stone mason and Linda’s late brother, earlier had found a top stone for the stile, but it was a cut stone and didn’t match the rustic appearance of the other two. Don, Ben’s son and also an experienced stonemason, re-worked the stone so that its appearance finally matched that of the others.

“Since there was often a back step for a stile, our family took a trip to a now defunct stone quarry in Rockcastle County and found a nice little stone to serve that purpose,” Linda added. “It was at that quarry that the stone – called green limestone - was cut for the old post office building in downtown Richmond, which is now the court building.

“As it happens we believe the original two stones may have come from the same vein of stone, since they are also green limestone.”

The Kincaid family cemetery is believed to have come in existence sometime around 1830 and served perhaps three churches in the vicinity of what is now the Blue Grass Army Depot. With the assistance of Kincaid family descendants, burial sites have been identified and financial support has been provided for restoration.

No burials were made in the cemetery past the Civil War, Ashley noted.