Anderson Reserve Development Heads to Appeals Court Over  Gravesites

ANDERSON COUNTY — Here is a question that should make every Anderson resident pause: How much is progress worth when it might mean disturbing the graves of enslaved people?

That question is not hypothetical anymore. It is now the centerpiece of a legal battle that is headed straight to the South Carolina Court of Appeals — and it could reshape how this county handles development on historically significant land.

The Development Nobody Expected to Fight

The project is called Anderson Reserve. It sits on Fants Grove Circle off Highway 187, on what used to be the Rivoli Plantation. If you have driven that stretch of road, you have probably seen the signs promising new homes and a fresh community.

What those signs do not mention? The possibility that the ground beneath them holds the remains of people who were enslaved on that very plantation.

In January 2025, the Anderson County Planning Commission approved the development despite vocal opposition from residents who raised concerns about unmarked gravesites. The commission's message was essentially this: We do not see enough evidence to stop this.

Local residents saw it differently.

The Appeal That Changes Everything

Here is where it gets interesting — and controversial.

A judge dismissed the residents case in June 2025. Case closed, development moves forward, right?

Wrong.

In August 2025, residents filed an appeal. They are not backing down. And now the South Carolina Court of Appeals will have to decide whether the planning commission acted properly when they greenlit this project.

The defendants? The Anderson County Planning Commission and Spano and Associates, Inc., the developer behind Anderson Reserve.

Stanley Hix Just Wants to Make Sure the Graves Are Not Disturbed

That is what Stanley Hix, a nearby resident, told WSPA. Simple words. But they carry weight.

Hix is not asking to stop development in Anderson County. He is asking for something that seems, on its face, entirely reasonable: Make sure we are not building houses on top of human remains. Make sure we are not erasing history we cannot get back.

And here is the part that makes this story even more complicated: A local church has offered to maintain the gravesites if they are found and preserved. Think about that for a second. The community is willing to step up and care for these grounds. The question is whether anyone with power will let them.

Why This Matters for Anderson

This is not just about one development on one piece of land. This is about how Anderson County treats its history — especially the parts we would rather not think about.

The Rivoli Plantation was not just farmland. It was part of a system that relied on human bondage. The people who labored there, who lived and died there, deserve more than to be paved over for convenience.

But here is the tension: Anderson needs housing. Anderson needs growth. Anderson needs tax revenue and new families and economic development.

The question is whether we can have those things without sacrificing our historical conscience.

What Happens Next

No one knows when the Court of Appeals will hear this case. These things take time. But while the lawyers file briefs and the judges review records, the land sits there — undeveloped, contested, waiting.

For residents like Stanley Hix, that is probably fine. The longer this takes, the more time there is to make sure the right thing happens.

For the developer, it is a different story. Delays cost money. Uncertainty makes investors nervous. And every month this drags on is a month they are not building.

The Bottom Line

Here is the uncomfortable truth: Someone is going to lose here. Either the development moves forward and residents like Hix lose their fight to protect what they believe are sacred grounds. Or the appeal succeeds, the development stalls, and Spano and Associates loses time and money on a project they thought was approved.

But maybe — just maybe — there is a third option. Maybe the court forces a compromise. Ground-penetrating radar. Archaeological surveys. A buffer zone around suspected gravesites. A way to build and remember.

Because here is what this case is really about: Whether Anderson County believes its history is worth protecting, even when it is inconvenient. Even when it costs money. Even when it means slowing down.

The Court of Appeals will make a legal ruling. But Anderson residents? They will have to decide what kind of community they want to be.

What do you think? Should the Anderson Reserve development move forward? Should historical gravesites take priority over new construction? This is a conversation Anderson needs to have.