Henderson Family Cemetery
Durham, Durham County, North Carolina, USA
A historically black cemetery originally owned by Dempsey and Emma Henderson, who were among the first nonwhite landowners in Durham Township of what was at the time Orange County, the Henderson Family Cemetery is currently on land owned by the City of Durham - deeded to the city in the 1930's. Dempsey and Emma Henderson originally purchased the land in 1872. The cemetery sits just outside the chain link fence that encloses the city owned Maplewood Cemetery. Maplewood Cemetery was Durham's white public cemetery in the 1930's when Henderson Family Cemetery was deeded to the city of Durham.
The Henderson Family Cemetery was "lost" and mostly forgotten about, its location relatively unknown until a maintenance crew clearing overgrown vegetation on the east side of Maplewood Cemetery noticed headstones in the woods nearby. Currently the city has installed a gate to afford access to the cemetery and are working to clear the old growth vegetation, fallen trees, etc in an effort to recover the cemetery. Plans are being considered to eventually incorporate the Henderson plots into the rest of Maplewood Cemetery.
Dempsey Henderson originally sold plots in the cemetery for $1.00 each. Records have been located that show that at least 80 non related individuals were buried in the family cemetery. Most graves are not marked and few markers remain that may have once existed. Many graves are only located by depressions in the ground. At least one family plot is marked with iron fencing. It may never be known the exact number of individuals buried in this cemetery.
Most of the information on the burials in this cemetery is from the diligent and hard work of Estelle Clark. She spent several months researching death certificates, grave markers, wills and other records.
Information for this cemetery was found in The News and Observer, Triangle and N.C. Section, page 7B on Sunday, July 6, 2014.
A historically black cemetery originally owned by Dempsey and Emma Henderson, who were among the first nonwhite landowners in Durham Township of what was at the time Orange County, the Henderson Family Cemetery is currently on land owned by the City of Durham - deeded to the city in the 1930's. Dempsey and Emma Henderson originally purchased the land in 1872. The cemetery sits just outside the chain link fence that encloses the city owned Maplewood Cemetery. Maplewood Cemetery was Durham's white public cemetery in the 1930's when Henderson Family Cemetery was deeded to the city of Durham.
The Henderson Family Cemetery was "lost" and mostly forgotten about, its location relatively unknown until a maintenance crew clearing overgrown vegetation on the east side of Maplewood Cemetery noticed headstones in the woods nearby. Currently the city has installed a gate to afford access to the cemetery and are working to clear the old growth vegetation, fallen trees, etc in an effort to recover the cemetery. Plans are being considered to eventually incorporate the Henderson plots into the rest of Maplewood Cemetery.
Dempsey Henderson originally sold plots in the cemetery for $1.00 each. Records have been located that show that at least 80 non related individuals were buried in the family cemetery. Most graves are not marked and few markers remain that may have once existed. Many graves are only located by depressions in the ground. At least one family plot is marked with iron fencing. It may never be known the exact number of individuals buried in this cemetery.
Most of the information on the burials in this cemetery is from the diligent and hard work of Estelle Clark. She spent several months researching death certificates, grave markers, wills and other records.
Information for this cemetery was found in The News and Observer, Triangle and N.C. Section, page 7B on Sunday, July 6, 2014.
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- Added: 8 Sep 2014
- Find a Grave Cemetery ID: 2553164
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