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Geer Cemetery

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Coordinates: 36°00′37″N 78°53′02″W / 36.0103°N 78.8839°W / 36.0103; -78.8839
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Geer Cemetery
Historic marker at the cemetery's entrance
Map
Interactive map of Geer Cemetery
Details
Established1876 (1876)
Closed1939 (1939)
Location
800 Colonial Street
Durham, North Carolina, U.S.
TypeAfrican American cemetery
Size4 acres (1.6 ha)
No. of gravesOver 1,500
Geer Cemetery
NRHP reference No.100010672[1]
Added to NRHPAugust 5, 2024[1]

Geer Cemetery (1876–1939) is an African-American cemetery located on Colonial Street between McGill Place and Camden Avenue in northeast Durham, North Carolina. It has also been known as City Cemetery, Old City Cemetery, East Durham Cemetery, and Mason Cemetery.[2] The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2024.[1]

History

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In the 1870s, a white farmer named Jesse B. Geer sold his land to three African-American men, John O'Daniel, Nelson Mitchell, and Willis Moore.[3] O'Daniel, Mitchell, and Moore established the cemetery on the plot of land.[3]

It currently occupies about 4 acres (1.6 ha), and contains the graves of over 1,500 African Americans, many born into slavery. It was the first cemetery for African Americans in Durham, and from 1876, when it opened, to 1924 it was the only one.[4] In 1939 it was closed as overcrowded by the health department, although there was a burial in 1944.[5][6] The city of Durham lists ownership of the cemetery as "Unknown".[6]

In 2004 the cemetery was "heavily overgrown and...nearly invisible";[4] it was impossible to walk through it. The city, in collaboration with Friends of Geer, a volunteer group, and Keep Durham Beautiful Inc., has cleared the site of trees, litter, and debris, suppressed vine and weed growth, restored tilted and fallen headstones, and smoothed a gravel road through the cemetery.[4][5] A stone sign was erected on Camden Street. In 2015, the 150th anniversary of North Carolina's ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, the Friends of Geer Cemetery held an event at the cemetery.[5]

Since at least 2020, the Friends of Geer Cemetery have partnered with faculty at Duke University, particularly Professor Adam Rosenblatt, to research the history of the cemetery and the people buried there.[7] The cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in August 2024,[1][8] following advocacy from cemetery officials.[9]

Notable burials

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "WEEKLY LIST OF ACTIONS TAKEN ON PROPERTIES: 8/2/2024 THROUGH 8/9/2024". National Park Service. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  2. ^ "GEER CEMETERY [CITY CEMETERY]". Cemetery Census. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Mungai, Mary (October 20, 2025). "Beloved: Honoring Durham's Ancestors at Geer Cemetery". Indy Week. Durham, North Carolina. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  4. ^ a b c Eustice, Jessica T. (June 28, 2015). "Geer Cemetery emerges as a historic cemetery" (PDF). Herald-Sun (Durham, North Carolina). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-10-23. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  5. ^ a b c "Laudable Effort for Cemetery" (PDF). Herald-Sun (Durham, North Carolina). June 29, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-10-23. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  6. ^ a b Carter, Andrew (June 22, 2019). "A hope for reclamation and preservation at an old African-American cemetery in Durham". News & Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina).
  7. ^ Frederick, Jack (November 10, 2021). "Reclaiming and Restoring a Black Burial Ground in Durham". Duke Today. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  8. ^ "National Register Adds 15 North Carolina Historic Places". NC DNCR (Press release). 2024-10-25. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
  9. ^ Rice, Andrew (2024-11-27). "Durham cemetery seeks to give untold stories new life through national recognition". WUNC. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
  10. ^ Sturkey, William (February 5, 2019). "The Geer Cemetery: A Lesson in Black History". News & Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina).
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36°00′37″N 78°53′02″W / 36.0103°N 78.8839°W / 36.0103; -78.8839

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