Beechwood Cemetery (Durham, North Carolina)

Cemetery in Durham County, North Carolina

Beechwood Cemetery

Tombstone, with White Rock Baptist Church in background.

Details
Established| 1924
Location|

3300 Fayetteville Street
Durham, North Carolina

Country| United States
Coordinates| 35°57′33″N 78°54′44″W﻿ / ﻿35.9592425°N 78.9123009°W﻿ / 35.9592425; -78.9123009
Owned by| City of Durham
No. of graves| >9,000
Website| Official website
Find a Grave| Beechwood Cemetery

Beechwood Cemetery is a city-owned cemetery in Durham, North Carolina, established in 1924 or 1926. Maplewood, the city's other public cemetery was historically white while Beechwood is historically black stemming from the city's segregation at their inception.[1] It is the burial location of key Black figures in Durham's history.[2][3]

The five cemeteries, which Beechwood replaced when the city purchased 25 acres from R.L. McDougald, were mostly full and undermaintained.[4]

An expansion was proposed in 2023 as the cemetery neared capacity.[5]

* Looking east at multiple tombstones and a flagpole.

* Plot of Nellie and James Whitted, overgrown by evergreens.

## See also

[edit]

* African American cemeteries in North Carolina

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Beechwood Cemetery -- a historic public cemetery in Durham -- is quickly running out of space". ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. October 5, 2022. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
2. ^ "'Unaware of our beginnings": Preservation Durham plans tour of historic Beechwood Cemetery". ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. April 16, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
3. ^ WRAL (April 7, 2023). "With just 15 plots left, historic Durham cemetery gets cash to expand". WRAL.com. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
4. ^ Anderson, Jean Bradley (May 9, 2011). Durham County: A History of Durham County, North Carolina. Duke University Press. p. 518\. ISBN 978-0-8223-4983-9.
5. ^ WRAL (September 25, 2023). "Durham cemetery at capacity to get $700K expansion; city looking at hybrid burial grounds". WRAL.com. Retrieved October 2, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* General Services – Cemeteries Division from the City of Durham, NC website
* U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Beechwood Cemetery

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