Oberlin Cemetery, North Carolina

Oberlin Cemetery (founded c. 1873) is one of only four remaining historic African-American
cemeteries in Raleigh, North Carolina. As an historic archaeological site, the cemetery, which
contains more than 600 burials, contains information crucial to understanding the social history
and practices of Raleigh’s first free African-American residents and their descendants over the
past 150 years. Because of the cemetery’s archaeological, historical, and artistic significance, it
has been designated a Raleigh Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic
Places.
Funding from an AIA Site Preservation Grant will support a site preservation, education, and
training program that will address the most pressing actions needed to save Oberlin Cemetery as
a significant site of African-American heritage: grave marker lifting, leveling, and repair;
landscaping to remove unwanted vegetation and reestablish safe walking paths; education efforts
to increase public awareness of the site’s significance; and training in cemetery maintenance for
local citizens. The Oberlin Cemetery program will be organized by a collaborative team of faculty
from nearby North Carolina State University, and members of the Friends of Oberlin Village
organization, a 501-c-3 community group formed by descendants of Oberlin Village founders who
are dedicated to preserving their community’s rich history.