African American cemeteries in North Carolina were established throughout the state's history. While many are in decay, interest in preserving, restoring, and commemorating their history has developed.
The South Ashville Cemetery in Asheville, North Carolina, is the oldest public cemetery for African Americans in Western North Carolina. It founded as a cemetery for enslaved people and has been gradually restored by community volunteers. The Odd Fellow Cemetery in Wilson, North Carolina was established by the fraternal organization and is now commemorated with an historic marker.
Some of North Carolina's African American cemeteries are abandoned and endangered. In Johnston County, enslaved people were buried in what is now a woodsy area, some of their graves marked with fieldstones. The cemetery continued in use after the Civil War and emancipation, and the property was purchased by a former slave.
The following is a list of known African American cemeteries in North Carolina.
List Cemetery EstablishedStill activeLocationPhotoHistoric designationReferencesAlexander Slave CemeteryCharlotteAllen’s Temple AME Church1895noAsheboroAntioch Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery1907noCharlotteMecklenburg County Historic LandmarkAyden African American Cemeteryc. 1908noAydenBarbee-Hargraves Cemetery 1790noChapel HillBeaver Dam Enslaved Cemetery1800snoDavidsonBeechwood Cemeteryc. 1924 yesDurhamBethesda Methodist ChurchnoHuntersvilleBiddleville Cemeteryc, 1873noCharlotteMecklenburg County Historic LandmarkBlack Bottom Memorial Cemetery1907noBelhavenBrindle-Phelps / Wesley Chapel Cemetery1887noDavidson CountyBuncombe Baptist Churchyard1872noPetersville, Davidson CountyCarter Plantation CemeteryyesWentworthCary First Christian Church Cemetery1868noCaryCary Historic LandmarkCedar Grove Cemetery1915noCharlotteChestnut Grove United Methodist Church Cemetery1909noReedy Creek Township, Davidson CountyChina Grove Baptist ChurchyardCumberland CountyDark Branch Community Cemeterylate 19th centurynoDark Branch, Brunswick CountyDinkins Cemetery1798noCharlotteEvans CemeteryLexingtonFerree's Chapel Cemeteryearly 1900snoRandlemanFirst Baptist Church Cemeteryc. 1912noCotton Grove Township, Davidson CountyFlea Hill ChurchCumberland CountyFlemington Community CemeteryNew Hanover CountyLittle, M. Ruth. "Afro-American Gravemarkers in North Carolina." Markers: Annual Journal of the Association for Gravestone Studies, vol. 6, 1989, p. 103-134. via Project MUSE. .Freeman Community GraveyardBoltonFritts Cemetery1800snoLexingtonGeer Cemetery1877no DurhamNational Register of Historic PlacesHaden Grove AME Zion Methodist Church Cemetery1879LexingtonHank's Chapel AME ChurchyardNew Hanover CountyHart-Rice or Second Site Cemetery1797noMecklenburg CountyHerron-McKnight-Brown CemeteryNoSteele CreekHill GraveyardWilmingtonHillcrest Cemetery1920noRaleighHistoric Unity Cemetery1901noRocky MountHolt Plantation Graveyard1800snoLinwoodJohn N. Smith Cemetery1880noSouthportNational Register of Historic PlacesKellyMcLaurin GraveyardCumberland CountyKinnamon CemeteryNoHuntersvilleLittle Davy Cemetery1889noLittle Davie, TrinityMabry Cemetery1905noLexingtonMaides Cemeterylate 19th centurynoMaides Park, WilmingtonMallard Creek Presbyterian Church Enslaved CemeterynoCharlotteMcCoy Slave CemeterynoHuntersvilleMount Hope Cemetery1872noRaleighNational Register of Historic PlacesNeely Slave Cemeteryc. late 1700snoCharlotteMecklenburg County Historic LandmarkNew Hope Cemeteryc. 1885noFranklinNew Jersey AME Zion Church Cemetery1888LexingtonOakdale Cemetery1885yesHendersonvilleNational Register of Historic PlacesOakwood Cemetery "Colored Section"noHighpointOberlin Cemetery1873noRaleighNational Register of Historic PlacesOdd Fellows Cemetery1911Forsyth CountyForsyth County Local Historic LandmarkOdd Fellows Cemetery1811noWilsonOld Smith Grove Baptist ChurchyardDavidson CountyPilgrim Reformed African American Cemetery1885noLexingtonPinewood Cemetery1853yesCharlotteMecklenburg County Historic LandmarkProsperity Presbyterian Church Enslaved CemeterynoCharlotteRaleigh Road - Lexington City CemeterynoLexingtonRoseland Cemeteryc. 1865noCharlotteMecklenburg County Historic LandmarkRoundtree CemeterynoWilsonSt. Lloyd Presbyterian Cemetery #11868noSouth Park, CharlotteMecklenburg County Historic LandmarkSt. Lloyd Presbyterian Cemetery #21926noGrier Heights, CharlotteSardis Presbyterian ChurchnoCharlotteSmith CemeterynoSilver Hill Township, Davidson CountyShow Hill AME Zion ChurchyardCumberland CountySnow Hill Primitive Baptist Cemetery1929MebaneSouth Asheville Cemetery1800snoAshevilleSouth Lexington Cemetery1950snoLexingtonStrieby Congregational United Church of Christ Cemetery1880yesAsheboroRandolph County Cultural Heritage SiteSwans Creek Baptist ChurchCumberland CountyTaylor Black Cemetery1893noGoldsboroUnion Cemetery 1882noGreensboroNational Register of Historic PlacesVick CemeterynoWilsonViolet Hills Cemetery1932yesAshevilleWaggoner GraveyardLexingtonWest Chapel Hill Cemetery1949noChapel HillWilkins CemeterynoDunnWillis Creek ChurchCumberland CountyWoodlawn Cemeteryc. 1928Southern PinesNC Historic Black Cemetery RegistryZion Chapel CemeteryHiddenite
See also
List of African American cemeteries
References