The Rye African-American Cemetery, also known as the African Cemetery in Rye, is a historic 1.4 acre
cemetery
A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...
on North Street in
Rye, New York
Rye is a coastal suburb of New York City in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the Town of Rye, which has more land area than the city. The City of Rye, formerly the Village of Rye, was part of the Town until it r ...
. It was established as a burying ground for local African-Americans in 1860 through a donation of land by the Underhill family with the intent that it “shall forever hereafter kept, held and used for the purpose of a cemetery or burial place for the colored inhabitants of the said Town of Rye, and its vicinity free and clear of any charge". At least 35 of the individuals buried there are American veterans including men who served with the
20th United States Colored Infantry Regiment
The 20th United States Colored Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was composed of African American enlisted men commanded by white officers and was authorized by the Bureau o ...
. The last documented burial in the cemetery was in 1964.
The cemetery was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 2003. In 2004, it was added to the
African American Heritage Trail of Westchester County, a group of 14 sites which include
Stony Hill Cemetery,
Villa Lewaro
Villa Lewaro, is a 34-room mansion located at Fargo Lane and North Broadway ( US 9) in Irvington, New York, 30 miles north of New York City. It was built from 1916 to 1918, and was designed in the Italianate style by architect Vertner Tandy ...
and the
Jay Estate
The Jay Estate is a 23-acre park and historic site in Rye, New York, with the 1838 Peter Augustus Jay House at its center. It is the keystone of the Boston Post Road Historic District, a National Historic Landmark District (NHL) created in 1993. ...
.
Stewardship
The cemetery is cared for and being restored by the non-profit Friends of the Rye African-American Cemetery together with descendants of those buried there and the local NAACP chapter. The Friends have led the preservation effort since 2010 In 2021, over 40 stones were conserved in a joint effort between the Friends of the Rye African American Cemetery,
World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and trainin ...
,
Jay Heritage Center
The Jay Heritage Center (JHC) is a 501(c) organization#501(c)(3), 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization incorporated in 1990 and chartered by the New York State Board of Regents to act as stewards of the 23-acre Jay Estate, the National Historic ...
and
Woodlawn Conservancy. The preservation effort was launched to coincide with the new federal
Juneteenth
Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Deriving its name from combining "June" and "nineteenth", it is celebrated on the anniversary of General Order No. 3, i ...
celebration.
The Rye African-American Cemetery is located next to the southwest portion of
Greenwood Union Cemetery and is accessed through the front entrance of Greenwood Union. New signage for the burial ground to make it easier to locate and reinforce its identity as a separate entity was installed in 2021 as part of revitalization efforts.
See also
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References
External links
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{{National Register of Historic Places in New York
African-American cemeteries in New York (state)
African-American history of New York (state)
Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)
National Register of Historic Places in Westchester County, New York
1860 establishments in New York (state)
Cemeteries in Westchester County, New York
African-American history of Westchester County, New York