Historic African American cemetery reopens after renovations in Hagerstown
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (DC News Now) — Would you believe that there’s land in Hagerstown where hundreds of African Americans were buried and for years no one knew until now?
Luckily the process to preserve and renovate that cemetery is in the works.
“I appreciate the work that’s happening here and the dignity is coming back,” Carolyn Brooks, a descendant of Perry Moxley, said.
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Brooks is a descendant of Perry Moxley, her great, great, grand uncle. But little did she know that the cemetery where her relative was buried had been forgotten and unkempt.
“I was interested in learning more about the cemetery and I understand now from some of the historical information that my ancestor, Perry Moxley, was one of the Samaritans that started the cemetery,” Brooks explained.
Emilie Amt is a retired professor of history from Hood College. She said the cemetery was founded in 1897, by a black fraternal order in Hagerstown, the Good Samaritans and Daughters of Samaria, and they bought six acres of land Halfway to make the cemetery for the Black citizens of Hagerstown.
“It looks different than most cemeteries that we visit today, but we still have a long way to go to restore it,” Amt said.
She says she has been working with others for the last four years to clean and open the cemetery.
“The cemetery is not neatly mowed with a headstone standing around it,” Amt explained.
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With a new public entrance and fencing around the cemetery, people like Lola Mosby whose great-grandfather is also buried there can visit.
“I’m just happy that I know the place where he was buried and that we found him although we don’t know exactly where at, we do know that he was buried in the cemetery,” Mosby said.
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