Restoration of Trenton’s largest African-American cemetery, Locust Hill, continues Saturday, March 12, 2022 from 9 a.m. to noon with the first “Spring Cleaning” of the season, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Trenton. All are invited to participate. The rain date for the project is Saturday, March 19, 2022.
Established in 1861, Locust Hill is the largest existing African-American cemetery in Trenton. It houses the remains of residents reinterred from East Hanover Street Cemetery, dating from 1779, as well as a number of Civil War veterans. After years of neglect, a group of interested Trentonians, known as the Locust Hill Project Development Team, led by Project Manager Algernon S. Ward Jr. and the 6th Regiment United States Colored Troops Re-enactors, works with the City of Trenton to preserve the cemetery as a sacred space, highlight the lives of African Americans buried there, and illustrate the history of racial injustice and progress in Trenton. The Kiwanis club is honored to support this effort.
In addition to seasonal maintenance, volunteers are needed to clear areas believed to contain burials so that ground penetrating radar can be used. We will continue to transform the area into a greenway designed for the city by the firm Olmstead in the early 1900s, which will now be implemented as part of the revitalization of Locust Hill Cemetery. Supplies and refreshments will be provided. For more information, please call Mike McCormick at (609) 208-9991 or [email protected].
