2011-2012 WMS Advisory
Community Service Project
We’re making a difference!
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Greenwood Cemetery
Founded in 1874, Greenwood Cemetery is
the oldest non-sectarian (not belonging to
a particular religious group) cemetery for
African Americans in St. Louis County.
An estimated 50,000 people are buried there,
including an aid to Abraham Lincoln; civil
rights leader Charlton Tandy; Harriet Scott, the
wife of Dred Scott; veterans of the Civil War,
the Spanish American War, World War I, World War II,
and the Korean War; and many great blues musicians,
businessmen and educators.
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Greenwood Cemetery was listed on The National Register of
Historic Places February 24, 2004.
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What happened to
Greenwood Cemetery?
 With desegregation the need for separate cemeteries
eventually ended. By the 1980s all three commercial
black cemeteries in the city had been sold to new
owners, who soon discovered that there was no
money to maintain the facilities. The only source of
income was the sale of new plots—and this did not
bring in enough money for the maintenance needs
at Greenwood. The result was that the cemetery
rapidly declined and became a dumping ground
and target for vandals.
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The cemetery has become overgrown and many of the historic
tombstones have fallen into disrepair.
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Erosion and overgrowth are major problems at Greenwood.
Headstones are being lost at an alarming rate.
Greenwood Cemetery - Aug. 2007
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Photo by Etta Daniels
Headstone Reassembled. This stone marking the
burial site of Thomas Rogers (1879-1924) was damaged
by both erosion and overgrowth.
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Greenwood Cemetery - Aug. 2007
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Photo by Cheryl Nelson
Burial site damaged by
overgrowth
Greenwood Cemetery - Aug. 2007
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Photo by Etta Daniels
A tree grew right over the headstone of Benjamin Parham,
a member of the United States Army, who died on July 1,
1942.
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Due to lack of funding for headstone
restoration and maintenance an attempt
is being made to preserve at least an
image of each stone.
In addition to the obvious purpose of
identifying the deceased, headstones
provide a great deal of information about
individuals and their family and
community ties.
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What can you tell about
this person just from
looking at the headstone?
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By looking at his
headstone, Erskine D.
Johnson appears to be a
physician, a Christian,
and married. He was
almost 77-years-old
when he died.
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Sometimes headstones can be repaired. A student
volunteer is searching for a missing headstone
picture by digging around the perimeter of the
stone.
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Yea! It was located. Results…
Greenwood Cemetery - Aug. 2007
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Photo by Etta Daniels
Some stones are beyond repair and a piece of
history is simply lost.
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We can help
photograph some
of Greenwood’s
headstones and
grave markers.
Cheryl Nelson, Photographer
Volunteer
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We can also help
clear away some
of the
brush/weeds
overtaking the
cemetery.
Cheryl Nelson, Photographer
Volunteer
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The 31.85 acre cemetery is divided into 22 burial lots .
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Take a look at how other groups
have volunteered their time…
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Chaminade Preparatory
School
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Washington University
Business School
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The Mormon Church
“Helping Hands Program”
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Pattonville High School
faculty members
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Normandy High School
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AmeriCorps
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St. Louis RAMS
Organization
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The Friends of Greenwood Cemetery has
the following on their “to do” list……
17 acres of land to be cleared
46 years of death records research needs
to be done
9000 headstone photos need to be taken
An endowment fund for perpetual care
needs to be established
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Greenwood’s Future
 Even though it is not
open for new burials,
Greenwood
Cemetery is a
significant historical
and cultural resource
for the St. Louis
community.
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Greenwood’s Future
 As they build their
research files,
Greenwood is
becoming a source of
data for research on
African American life
during the late 19th
and 20th centuries in
the St. Louis area.
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Dr. Field Bleven 1890-1929
They need our help, and as a
community, we’re able to give it.
Check out this little helper!
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Ready to lend a hand?
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Resources:
 www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/county/stlouis/green
wood/
 www.greenwoodcemeterystl.com/
 seriousrabbit.blogspot.com/2009/.../greenwoodcemetery-st-louis.html
 www.waymarking.com
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