[GEN-AFRICAN] African American heritage cemeteries
Michael Emery
With your help, I can begin my research for a TV story that will air
next year. I would like to collect a list of African American
heritage cemeteries. I don't need specific locations, but rather,
fuzzy locations like the nearest town or city.
I would describe an African American heritage cemetery as one that is
over 50 years old and contains at least one burial of a black person.
Also you can help by telling me of any black freedomtowns in your
neck of the woods. Archivist Michelle M. Mears and Texas Tech
University Press released a book this month called, "And Grace Will
Lead Me Home." Defined as a black-founded community that came into
being after emancipation and is centered on a segregated church or a
school, this book describes some up-teen freedomtowns in Travis Co.
It is my opinion that some of the cemeteries I seek will be found in
the vicinity of freedomtowns.
Thanks for your interest.
--
Michael Emery If I would learn about a people,
http://memery.home.texas.net I would first visit
their graveyards.
--
Benjamin Franklin
-------------------------------
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ms...@aol.com
There is a black cemetary in Coopers/Bramwell WV.? My great-grandmother and other blacks from the area are buried there.? Due to growth of the woods, it cannot be accessed but it is definitely up there.? There is also a black cemetary called Oak Grove Cemetery.? It?is located in Bluewell, West Virginia on Lorton Lick Road. Oak Grove Cemetery was established in the early 1920's by G.H. Sinkford during the height of segregation and served African-American families of the region. There are an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 burials in the 7.2 acre cemetery. The cemetery was discontinued for burials in the late 1970's. Without perpetual care provision in place, the cemetery became overgrown following its last major clearing in 1974. The cemetery became essentially inactive as late as the 1970's, although some burials occurred as recent as 1991.? Hope this info helps,
April
Michael Emery
There is a black cemetary in Coopers/Bramwell WV.? My
great-grandmother and other blacks from the area are
buried there.? Due to growth of the woods, it cannot be
accessed but it is definitely up there.?
This sounds like more than a few old black cemeteries in my own neck
of the woods. My ggrandfather is buried in a mixed race site that is
overgrown like this, according to the published survey. I fear trying
to find the grave on my own.
There is also a black cemetary called Oak Grove
Cemetery.? It?is located in Bluewell, West Virginia on
Lorton Lick Road. Oak Grove Cemetery was established in
the early 1920's by G.H. Sinkford during the height of
segregation and served African-American families of the
region. There are an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 burials in
the 7.2 acre cemetery. The cemetery was discontinued for
burials in the late 1970's. Without perpetual care
provision in place, the cemetery became overgrown
following its last major clearing in 1974. The cemetery
became essentially inactive as late as the 1970's,
although some burials occurred as recent as 1991.?
That's a large operation! It might eventually need protection as an
historical area, lest some developer try to build something there.
Hope this info helps
I probably won't be able to visit those areas on my meager budget,
but it's good to know that these cemeteries are out there, suffering
just like so many others closer to me. It's a universal problem, and
that's one of the messages I will probably end with.
When I finish my video, I'll post the link on this list.
--
Michael
Quan Pruitt
What state/states are you interested in?
Hope this info helps
--
Michael
-------------------------------
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Saundra Brown
Dear Michael,
In your writing about AA cemeteries, please talk about the destruction of A=
A cemeteries for profit gain. Reference the messed up situation of Burr Oak=
Cemetery here in Chicago. A real downright dirty shame and mess.
Now the cemetery in Baltimore that my 3 great grandfather Pvt Henry Dent, 1=
9th regiment, Company K, USCT, southern Maryland, was buried in was also a =
cemetery that was destroyed. Laurel Cemetery was covered over with a PePBoy=
s store. =
Saundra Oliver Brown, saundra...@yahoo.com
=A0
Here are some comments and facts about it.
=A0
Laurel Cemetery - Historically African-American MD
The below news article appeared in the Baltimore Sun on January 4, 2001. So=
me of you may be interested in the current preservation attempt that is cur=
rently underway at Laurel. Laurel is a historically African-American cemete=
ry originally created in 1852 on Baltimore's eastside. This site was initia=
lly used to bury Black servants and slaves; these burials pre-date 1852. It=
is estimated that nearly 10,000 persons of African-American decent were bu=
ried there. Veterans of the Civil War (Union) were buried at Laurel; an est=
imated 230 =
Black Civil War Veterans - -- they were subsequently re-interred at Loudon =
Cemetery (on Frederick Road). The original cemeteries for Sharp Street Chur=
ch and Bethel AME were re-interred at Laurel (Sharp Street Church has anoth=
er cemetery just outside of the City today). There is currently an active p=
roject underway to determine who was buried at Laurel. Through time, neglec=
t and political manipulation the land was chipped away to make way for hous=
ing and other development projects. Ultimately the cemetery was relocated t=
o Johnville, Carroll County, Maryland in 1978. Since that time the cemetery=
has fallen into disrepair. George Murphy wants to clean it up (see article=
below). Should anyone have relatives buried at Laurel Cemetery or believe =
they have relatives buried at Laurel Cemetery, your help may be needed with=
this preservation project. Please email me directly. Celeste Heritage2@aol=
.com =
Respect for eternal rest Graves: =
George Murphy wants to return dignity to a forgotten cemetery in Carroll Co=
unty. By Mary Gail Hare Sun Staff =
Originally published Jan 4 2001> > George Murphy can stand amid broken, mos=
s-covered tombstones in a forgotten cemetery and see history, art and a mys=
tery he can solve. Cemetery restoration has become a passion for Murphy, a =
teaching assistant at Liberty High School, environmental activist and somet=
ime political candidate. The 52-year-old Eldersburg resident is about to ta=
ke on Laurel Cemetery, a 3-acre graveyard in southern Carroll County with a=
s many as 400 markers in disrepair. "Laurel is a Victorian garden trapped i=
nside a forest," he said. "I want to remove the forest and show the stones.=
" To clear this forest, Murphy will need chain saws, clippers, a dump truck=
, a backhoe and countless volunteers. He has enlisted Boy Scouts and severa=
l Liberty High students. "We have taken a look at the disarray and decided =
it would be a great idea to clean it up," said Jim Anastastion Jr., leader =
of Boy Scout Troop 110, whose dozen members are on board with the
project. "This is important because it is in our community. Maybe descenda=
nts of these families will visit." In 1958, to pave the way for a shopping =
center near Belair Road and Edison Highway in Baltimore, the remains of abo=
ut 300 African-Americans were removed from Laurel Cemetery, once one of the=
city's largest and oldest graveyards. "Laurel Cemetery was at one time con=
sidered the most elegant and the largest cemetery in Baltimore," Murphy sai=
d. "It is a gem as far as monuments go." The remains were reinterred in wha=
t was then a cornfield in the historically black community of Johnsville, n=
orth of Eldersburg. Two 16-foot stone pillars marked the entrance and the g=
raves were placed in rows off a central pathway. Within a few years, the ne=
w cemetery, also called Laurel, was all but forgotten. Saving the cemetery =
is a daunting task, Murphy acknowledges. Every stone will have to be lifted=
- some with a crane - so that the bases can be replaced. Most
monuments have settled and then toppled over. Some have sunk more than two=
feet into the ground. Smaller ones may have sunk completely beneath the su=
rface. "The contractor =
hired when the graves were moved here probably could have done a better job=
, or so many of these stones would not by lying on the ground," Murphy said=
. "I doubt there are real bases under the ground, or they would not be so f=
lat." Murphy calls Laurel "a real jigsaw puzzle, with several hundred stone=
s of every different size and shape." "There are at least 16 rows of graves=
on each side of a central pathway and they look to be in a straight line,"=
he said. "I think we are looking at 400 graves to fix." Murphy frequently =
has had to shoo deer from the cemetery, nestled in an overgrown stand of tr=
ees several hundred yards off Hodges Road. The property is hidden from view=
and unknown to many residents of the homes in the neighborhood. Seclusion =
has saved it from vandals and thieves, the fate of many abandoned cemeterie=
s. Residents dump their yard waste onto the grounds, probably unaware that =
it is a cemetery. Even the taller stones are covered with underbrush
and weeds. Most of the remains date from the 19th century, and the graves =
probably went untended once remains were moved to Eldersburg. Most of those=
interred have no ties to Carroll families. "There is a lot of history in t=
hese cemeteries and we, as African-Americans, need to follow up on whatever=
information is available on our ancestors," said Phyllis Black, president =
of the Carroll County chapter of the National Association for the Advanceme=
nt of Colored People. "It is our responsibility to do something. George has=
given us hope that we can do something." Murphy has completed a successful=
two-year effort to restore 200 stones and the grounds of Ellsworth Cemeter=
y in Westminster, once the only graveyard for African-Americans in Carroll =
County. His efforts led to a survey of Ellsworth, refurbished stones and ne=
w marble markers on many graves. Repairing Ellsworth - the final resting pl=
ace of former slaves, veterans of conflicts from the Civil War
through World War II, and many prominent black families who lent their nam=
es to towns throughout Carroll - won community support. Murphy is confident=
that the Laurel restoration will, too. First he must research the ownershi=
p, hoping to find descendants of the last agent of Laurel Cemetery Co. Then=
the Hodges Road property would be surveyed to mark property lines and esta=
blish a perimeter. Fences would be installed to protect the grounds. Severa=
l tall cedars would remain, but volunteers would remove many of the trees a=
nd clear weeds and brush. "Once we remove the trees, we can get to the ston=
es," he said. "We will need a crane to lift some of them." A Boy Scout coul=
d focus on one section, clearing and cleaning and, if possible, righting st=
ones. It would be a good project for an Eagle badge, said Anastastion. "We =
have everybody on board with this and lots of dads helping, and we know it =
won't be finished in a few months," he said. "Although these stones
were transported here, this can be a service to our community." Each monum=
ent could pose a challenge. Some are 16 feet tall and many are more than a =
foot thick. "We would lift the inscription from each one for the public rec=
ord," Murphy said. "Some writings are poetic. On some I can't see a single =
letter, but I know they have to be inscribed." Thick moss obscures some let=
tering. On many, however, one need only brush away leaves and soil to disce=
rn the inscriptions. Many stones bear elaborate sculpture or delicate carvi=
ngs, such as a rose or an open Bible. Several bear the Star of David. A few=
have the remains of granite seats for visitors to rest themselves. Several=
monuments are obelisks, which typically marked a family plot. These tall, =
graceful stones might be inscribed on all four sides. Rough edges indicate =
that the stone marking the grave of Jacob Davis, who died in 1900, has lost=
its top. It will take digging around the gravesite to find it.
"It's here somewhere near the grave," Murphy said. "Most of what they brou=
ght here in 1958 is still here." The family of James E. Fossett, 1864-1937,=
probably expected to bury his wife, Mary B. Fossett, at his side. Her birt=
h year - 1866 - is on the stone, but no date of death is recorded. "I don't=
think Mary is interred here," Murphy said. Murphy is certain that many who=
owned plots at Laurel purchased burial insurance, a common practice years =
ago to guarantee that graves would be maintained in perpetuity. No one has =
kept track of those contracts, however. Murphy hopes his efforts lead to th=
e re-creation of what was once "a magnificent cemetery" and bring honor to =
those reinterred in Carroll 42 years ago. "Laurel should look outstanding,"=
he said. "We can make it better than it looked in 1958." =
--- On Tue, 9/1/09, gen-afric...@rootsweb.com <gen-african-request@r=
ootsweb.com> wrote:
From: gen-afric...@rootsweb.com <gen-afric...@rootsweb.com>
Subject: GEN-AFRICAN Digest, Vol 3, Issue 12
To: gen-a...@rootsweb.com
Date: Tuesday, September 1, 2009, 2:00 AM
Today's Topics:
=A0=A0=A01. Re:=A0 African American heritage cemeteries (ms...@aol.com)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 2009 20:36:53 -0400
From: ms...@aol.com
Subject: Re: [GEN-AFRICAN] African American heritage cemeteries
To: gen-a...@rootsweb.com
Message-ID: <8CBF7EA4561C1...@webmail-d080.sysops.aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=3D"us-ascii"
There is a black cemetary in Coopers/Bramwell WV.? My great-grandmother and=
other blacks from the area are buried there.? Due to growth of the woods, =
it cannot be accessed but it is definitely up there.? There is also a black=
cemetary called Oak Grove Cemetery.? It?is located in Bluewell, West Virgi=
nia on Lorton Lick Road. Oak Grove Cemetery was established in the early 19=
20's by G.H. Sinkford during the height of segregation and served African-A=
merican families of the region. There are an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 buria=
ls in the 7.2 acre cemetery. The cemetery was discontinued for burials in t=
he late 1970's. Without perpetual care provision in place, the cemetery bec=
ame overgrown following its last major clearing in 1974. The cemetery becam=
e essentially inactive as late as the 1970's, although some burials occurre=
d as recent as 1991.? Hope this info helps,
April
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Emery <mem...@texas.net>
To: GEN-AFRICAN <gen-af...@rootsweb.com>
Sent: Sat, Aug 29, 2009 10:23 am
Subject: [GEN-AFRICAN] African American heritage cemeteries
With your help, I can begin my research for a TV story that will air=A0 =
next year. I would like to collect a list of African American=A0 =
heritage cemeteries. I don't need specific locations, but rather,=A0 =
fuzzy locations like the nearest town or city.
I would describe an African American heritage cemetery as one that is=A0 =
over 50 years old and contains at least one burial of a black person.
Also you can help by telling me of any black freedomtowns in your=A0 =
neck of the woods. Archivist Michelle M. Mears and Texas Tech=A0 =
University Press released a book this month called, "And Grace Will=A0 =
Lead Me Home." Defined as a black-founded community that came into=A0 =
being after emancipation and is centered on a segregated church or a=A0 =
school, this book describes some up-teen freedomtowns in Travis Co.=A0 =
It is my opinion that some of the cemeteries I seek will be found in=A0 =
the vicinity of freedomtowns.
Thanks for your interest.
--
Michael Emery=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 If I would learn about a p=
eople,
http://memery.home.texas.net=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=A0=A0I would first =
visit
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=A0=A0their graveyards.
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=A0=A0--
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Benjamin Franklin
-------------------------------
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of =
the message
End of GEN-AFRICAN Digest, Vol 3, Issue 12
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