The Freedmen's Mission Historic Cemetery, at the corner of Booker and College, is a historic African-American burial ground on the campus of

Knoxville College Knoxville College is an unaccredited private historically black college in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1875 by the United Presbyterian Church of North America. The college is a United Negro College Fund member sch ...

in Tennessee, United States. The Freedmen's Mission Historic Cemetery is the burial place of several notable black Knoxvillians including "Caslers, Becks, Greens," teachers, the town's first black doctors, and several people who were formerly enslaved by

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. The 16th vice president, he assumed the presidency following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a South ...

, the 17th U.S. President. & The cemetery, which has about 190 known graves, was previously known as Knoxville College Cemetery, College Street Cemetery, and First United Presbyterian Church Cemetery.The Knoxville News-Sentinel, February 26, 2003, Page N1 Neighbors section. via Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-knoxville-news-sentinel-knoxville-co/127977135/ : accessed July 10, 2023), clip page for Knoxville College Cemetery in sad state It is unknown when the cemetery was established but presumed to be between 1877 and 1900. The oldest grave with a marked headstone dates to 1904. The Knoxville College Cemetery Association was organized in 1900 to maintain the site. However, as descendants of the dead left Knoxville over the decades, by the early 21st century the cemetery was suffering badly as a result of neglect and vandalism.

References

{{reflist Knoxville, Tennessee African-American cemeteries in Tennessee Cemeteries established in the 19th century Knoxville College