The Lincoln Memorial Cemetery has been the burial site of many of Springfield’s African American citizens since its establishment in 1919.
Lincoln Memorial Cemetery was planned to be a dignified and beautiful resting place for black Springfieldians. Many gravestones in the cemetery mark the burial place of some of Springfield’s oldest families. There are birth dates as far back as the mid-1850’s.
During the days of Jim Crow, the city-owned cemeteries had allowed African Americans to be buried only in designated areas, areas that were fenced off to separate the African Americans’ graves from the other graves.
Through the years, a succession of white owners had allowed the Lincoln Memorial Cemetery’s grounds to deteriorate, its graves covered with weeds, fallen tree limbs, and refuse. In 2009 the last owner deeded the cemetery to the newly formed board that now administers the upkeep of this historic site.
The Lincoln Memorial Cemetery is a sign of identity and heritage for our community.
