African-American Cemetery

This cemetery was a burial ground in the late 18th century and the final resting place of enslaved persons. Work supported by the city of Montgomery and local volunteers has led to the identification of around 171 graves dating as far back as 1756.

This cemetery was rediscovered in the 1990s and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. The Town of Montgomery approved funds to support the restoration of the cemetery led by a committee consisting of historians, teachers, town officials, residents, and representatives of social justice organizations. In order to honor the memory of those buried in the cemetery, the committee has promised to work together to revitalize the cemetery. In addition, the nearby company Medline Industries pledged $100,000 to support the work to identify graves and provide markers.

Leach, Olivia. “Historic African American Cemetery in Montgomery to Be Restored.” Historic African American Cemetery in OC to be Restored, August 20, 2020. https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/hudson-valley/news/2020/08/20/town-of-montgomery-establishes-committee-to-revitalize-historic-african-american-cemetery. 

Times Hudson Valley. “Montgomery Approves African American Cemetery Revitalization.” My Hudson Valley. My Hudson Valley, October 21, 2020. https://www.timeshudsonvalley.com/stories/montgomery-approves-african-american-cemetery-revitalization,21178.

Wang, Helu. “Community Comes Together in Orange County to Revitalize the Largest Known African-American Cemetery.” Record. Times Herald-Record, August 21, 2020. https://www.recordonline.com/story/news/2020/08/20/rebirth-montgomery-colored-cemetery/3385542001/.  

Williams, Monte. “Forgotten Cemetery Becomes Two Historians' Battleground.” The New York Times. The New York Times, April 8, 1996. https://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/08/nyregion/forgotten-cemetery-becomes-two-historians-battleground.html. 

Williams, Robert L. “African American Cemetery.” Empire Explorer, July 5, 2021. https://empireexplorer.com/listing/african-american-cemetery/.