Restore Historic Burditt Prairie Cemetery

The Burditt Prairie Cemetery is the final resting place of former slaves, emancipated African Americans and their descendants. Located in what is now known as Montopolis in Austin, Texas, the cemetery is an integral part of The Burditt's Prairie Freedmen's Community, one of Travis County's original "Freedom Colonies" created after the Civil War. Established in 1850, this cemetery was officially recognized as a historic cemetery by the State of Texas in 2004 and is the oldest Black cemetery in Austin.

Years of illegal dumping and camping as well as vandalism have taken their toll on this historic cemetery. Families have difficulty finding their loved ones because of missing or broken headstones and accessing gravesites due to overgrowth and damaged land.

Your donations will help restore, preserve, and protect this important historic cemetery and ensure descendent families can continue their burial traditions. All funds raised through this GoFundMe campaign go to the Burditt Prairie Preservation Association, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization and will be used for upkeep, maintenance, and priority projects such as invasive vegetation control, physical security upgrades, and archaeological investigations.

More information about the Burditt's Prairie Freedmen's Community and the cemetery can be found at BurdittPrairie.org.