African American Cemetery Rye Town
Donation protected
The Friends of the African American Cemetery Inc. seeks funds to restore the cemetery. For more than six years many have been working to conserve, rehabilitate and transform the African American Cemetery into a place of historical remembrance, reflection and education for the people of Westchester County
The African Cemetery was established in Rye when its site was deeded to the town on June 27, 1860, by Underhill and Elizabeth Halsted “(to) be forever after kept and used for the purposes of a cemetery or burial place for the colored inhabitants of the said Town of Rye and its vicinity free and clear of any charge therefore.” In the latter part of his life, Underhill Halsted became a fervent follower of the Methodist movement, which was profoundly opposed to slavery. The cemetery includes a variety of professionally carved and dressed grave stones, with 35 indicating that a war veteran is interred. African American veterans of the Civil War through World War II are buried here. In 1983 the African Cemetery was listed as a Westchester County Tercentennial Historic Site, and in 2003 the cemetery was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This year we are proud to announce that the Friends of the African American Cemetery have received its 501c3 non-profit designation. We wish to thank Westchester County Legislator David Gelfarb for you his invaluable assistance. We are currently raising funds to improve the site and fund research into those interred at the sit.
If you love history, if you are particularly interested in African American history, we hope you will contribute.
The African Cemetery was established in Rye when its site was deeded to the town on June 27, 1860, by Underhill and Elizabeth Halsted “(to) be forever after kept and used for the purposes of a cemetery or burial place for the colored inhabitants of the said Town of Rye and its vicinity free and clear of any charge therefore.” In the latter part of his life, Underhill Halsted became a fervent follower of the Methodist movement, which was profoundly opposed to slavery. The cemetery includes a variety of professionally carved and dressed grave stones, with 35 indicating that a war veteran is interred. African American veterans of the Civil War through World War II are buried here. In 1983 the African Cemetery was listed as a Westchester County Tercentennial Historic Site, and in 2003 the cemetery was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This year we are proud to announce that the Friends of the African American Cemetery have received its 501c3 non-profit designation. We wish to thank Westchester County Legislator David Gelfarb for you his invaluable assistance. We are currently raising funds to improve the site and fund research into those interred at the sit.
If you love history, if you are particularly interested in African American history, we hope you will contribute.
Organizer
David Thomas
Organizer
Port Chester, NY
