Springfield council considers funding repairs to historic African American cemetery
To safeguard the legacy of Springfield's African-American community, Springfield's city council is considering allocating $100,000 toward the preservation of Lincoln Memorial Cemetery.
The funds originate from the American Rescue Plan Act, the federal pandemic recovery law that allocated $40 million to Springfield. But when the majority of the city's ARPA funds were allocated earlier this summer, councilwoman Monica Horton called out the omission of funding repairs for the historic cemetery, which means so much to Springfield's Black community.
Built in 1919, the Lincoln Memorial Cemetery was one of few places where Black Springfieldians were allowed to bury their family members. Born out of that racist Jim Crow era, the cemetery became the resting place countless generations of Black residents and leaders in the city.
According to the African-American Heritage Trail website, the cemetery contains "about 1,200 graves with gravestones dating back to the 1850s."
Speaking before city council at their Monday night meeting, Lincoln Memorial Cemetery board member and former Springfield NAACP president Cheryl Clay said she had gotten many messages from community members expressing their thanks to council funding the repairs.
"We're beyond happy for the council considering the cemetery for funds from the ARPA. A little history — the cemetery is part of the African American Heritage Trail. It was primarily the final resting place for generations of African Americans families and is over 100 years old. There are veterans buried there. And if you know the early African American families that settled in Springfield and Greene County, you will find their names at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery," Clay said — pointing to her own family.
"That is my family's cemetery. My grandparents, my great grandparents and my great great grandfather is buried in Lincoln Memorial Cemetery so I have a personal personal draw to that cemetery."
The $100,000 allocation allows the cemetery board to pave the gravel road inside the cemetery, repair large concrete urns and stabilize headstones.
In an interview with the News-Leader, Clay said the cemetery had fallen in deep disrepair under private management over the past century before being given to the current board as a non-profit. Since then, money was raised to complete several upgrades, including a fence, a new general marker, and regular maintaining of the grounds.
"Before the grounds were never maintained," Clay told the News-Leader. "I can remember going out there with a weed-eater cleaning my family's graves. We started with nothing, and we've got it to a maintainable level. But we are very grateful for the city funds."
Councilwoman Monica Horton pointed to a city leader all her colleagues would know — former councilman Denny Whayne, who passed away earlier this year and is buried at Lincoln Memorial.
Just today I actually received a text message from ... the daughter of former counsel Denny Whayne," Horton said.
"She said 'Daddy would be smiling from ear to ear' and to say 'thank you to the committee for the initial approval for keeping this project ongoing, among other council agendas.'"
Clay said Whayne had called Lincoln Memorial Cemetery a "sign of identity and heritage for our community."
In her remarks, Clay also implored the public for donations to ensure the maintenance of the cemetery and Springfield's African-American heritage.
"Lincoln Memorial Cemetery is a private nonprofit, the maintenance and upkeep for the cemetery depends on donations. For the last two years needless to say, we haven't been able to have any fundraising to maintain the grounds. We appreciate the council including the cemetery for funds."
Andrew Sullender is the local government reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow him on Twitter @andrewsullender. Email tips and story ideas to asullender@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Council considers funding repairs to historic Black Cemetery
