Mount Olive Cemetery - Wilmington, Delaware
Relocated Historic African-American Cemeteries
Mount
Olive Cemetery is an historic African-American cemetery near Wilmington, DE on
Lancaster Ave
The
cemetery entrance is marked with a Historic
Marker - from the Delaware State website.
Restless Gound. The Untold
story of Mt. Olive
(2024 documentary)
Burials
from several early African-American cemeteries in Wilmington were moved to
Mount Olive in the early 1900s. The first recorded burials in Mt Olive
were in 1899. Many markers from the earlier St.
Peters and 12th and French (Old Union) date from the early 1860s and have
been transferred to Mt. Olive.
The earliest recorded deaths
are on FamilySearch film 005190436
–
These appear in the family name page as ‘Not
Recorded’ for the location.
The address of the deceased is on the film and may help
identify early family groups.
Known
African-American cemeteries at the time included:
2nd and Tatnall
Peter Spencer Plaza
possibly small private burials in the city
If you have a relative buried here who
is not mentioned; please contact us.
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Always
check Find-a-Grave – a
dedicated volunteer had been adding family information for many of the
residents |
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The
recently-published book –
Peter
Dalleo, University of Delaware has an excellent article on the free African
American community. https://www1.udel.edu/BlackHistory/antebellum.html
Be sure to check: Free African-Americans and Mitsawokett for more information about some of these families!
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A list of sources used to
compile this site |
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The
earliest burials
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Although the location is not
recorded, the residence of the deceased is clearly indicated. Addresses,
names and ages can be analyzed to provide family information. The most likely
locations are the “Aff Cem” shown
outside the city line in 1868 (Beers) and Peter Spencer Plaza These are indexed (1847 – 1888) |
THE
"BURIED" CEMETERIES
|
CEMETERY NAME IN RECORDS |
ACTIVE PERIOD |
CEMETERY NAME IN RECORDS |
ACTIVE PERIOD |
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not recorded -
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1840s - 1871 |
African Union |
1818 – ca. 1900 Chippey, Peter. D 1903 is interred there |
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St. Peters |
1861 - 1914 |
African Union |
1861 - 1900 |
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Ezion |
1871 - 1908 |
Old Union |
1861 - 1900 |
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Union (new Union) |
1863 - 1903 |
Mt. Olive |
active |
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19 Jun 1908 – five
skeletons were found in a sand pit in Newport. Residents remembered a
‘colored cemetery’ across King’s Highway from the white
cemetery. |
17 Apr 1901 – the colored people have purchased 3 acres from Mr Frank White and laid out a cemetery – 15 lots
have been sold. |
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Death records, census and newspaper clippings will help identify not only the persons with existing tombstones, but additional people buried here as well.
Some residents have an ID number under their names. This is an entry in Find A Grave (online, free). Use the ID numbers to search that site. Example: 226770540 is the memorial for Josiah Edward Cephas
Existing markers photographed: 945. Burials identified - 13457 (St. Peters, 12th&French (Old Union), Union (Ezion & St. Peters - Front and Union, to 3rd and Pyles Lane) and Mount Olive.
>
RECORD
NOTE: If you don't find your family member listed yet - I haven't gotten
to the record yet - The record might not be public (only records before
1971 are available) - There might not be a public burial record. Records
for Mt. Zion (Lancaster Avenue at the Cannery) are not included in this
collection. Records for Ezion (2nd and Union) prior
to the move to Lancaster Ave are in this collection.
Changes or additions: rmbarry1066@earthlink.net