Woodland Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Woodland Cemetery is a historically African American cemetery
located in Northeast Richmond, Virginia
. It is the second largest African American cemetery in the area, surpassed only by Evergreen Cemetery
. The Cemetery was founded by the Richmond Planet editor John Mitchell Junior
who designed the layout of the cemetery himself. The cemetery is designed in the rural cemetery
style and incorporates winding roads on terraced slopes. The layout was inspired by the design of Hollywood Cemetery, designed by John Notman in 1847.
Until about 1970, private cemeteries like Woodland and Evergreen Cemeteries
were the only cemeteries open to African Americans for burial in the city of Richmond. The city owned cemeteries remained segregated
until over a century after slaves became free in America.
As far back as the early 1900s Woodland Cemetery was known as a prestigious place of internment for African Americans. Buried here are many of Richmond's Black elite including leaders in the Civil Rights Movement
, doctors, dentists, bank officers, a female African American spy for the Union and church leaders.
Although there were periods as recently as the 1990s where the Cemetery saw serious neglect including overgrowth and dumping, the cemetery is currently maintained by a small group of individuals led by Isaiah Entizminger.
(1943–1993) - famed tennis player and humanitarian. Arthur Ashe
was the first African-American to represent his country in Davis Cup play (1963), the first African-American man to win the U.S. Open singles title (1968), the first African-American man to win the Wimbledon
singles title (1975), and the first African-American to captain the Davis Cup
team (1981).
John Jasper (1812–1901) Founder and the first Reverend of the Sixth Mt. Zion Baptist Church. During the time before the Civil War
, when slave marriages were not recognized as being legal, Mr. Jasper was authorized by the United States Freedman's Bureau to legalize slave marriages.
Here I lay my burdens down: a history of the Black cemeteries of Richmond, Virginia. Veronica Alease Davis, Dietz Press, 2003
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
located in Northeast Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. It is the second largest African American cemetery in the area, surpassed only by Evergreen Cemetery
Evergreen Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia)
Evergreen Cemetery is a historic African-American cemetery in the East End of Richmond, Virginia, dating from 1891. Notable African-American Richmonders including Maggie L. Walker, John Mitchell, Jr., A.D.Price, and Rev.J.Andrew Bowler are buried there....
. The Cemetery was founded by the Richmond Planet editor John Mitchell Junior
John Mitchell, Jr. (editor)
John Mitchell, Jr. was an African American businessman, politician, and newspaper editor.Mitchell was a civic leader and civil rights activist in Richmond, Virginia’s Jackson Ward community, a neighborhood of free African Americans and freed slaves which became known as the “Black Wall Street of...
who designed the layout of the cemetery himself. The cemetery is designed in the rural cemetery
Rural cemetery
The rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of burial ground that uses landscaping in a park-like setting.As early as 1711 the architect Sir Christopher Wren had advocated the creation of burial grounds on the outskirts of town, "inclosed with a strong Brick Wall, and having a walk round, and...
style and incorporates winding roads on terraced slopes. The layout was inspired by the design of Hollywood Cemetery, designed by John Notman in 1847.
Until about 1970, private cemeteries like Woodland and Evergreen Cemeteries
Evergreen Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia)
Evergreen Cemetery is a historic African-American cemetery in the East End of Richmond, Virginia, dating from 1891. Notable African-American Richmonders including Maggie L. Walker, John Mitchell, Jr., A.D.Price, and Rev.J.Andrew Bowler are buried there....
were the only cemeteries open to African Americans for burial in the city of Richmond. The city owned cemeteries remained segregated
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
until over a century after slaves became free in America.
As far back as the early 1900s Woodland Cemetery was known as a prestigious place of internment for African Americans. Buried here are many of Richmond's Black elite including leaders in the Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
, doctors, dentists, bank officers, a female African American spy for the Union and church leaders.
Although there were periods as recently as the 1990s where the Cemetery saw serious neglect including overgrowth and dumping, the cemetery is currently maintained by a small group of individuals led by Isaiah Entizminger.
List of notable internments
Arthur AsheArthur Ashe
Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. was a professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his career, he won three Grand Slam titles, putting him among the best ever from the United States...
(1943–1993) - famed tennis player and humanitarian. Arthur Ashe
Arthur Ashe
Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. was a professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his career, he won three Grand Slam titles, putting him among the best ever from the United States...
was the first African-American to represent his country in Davis Cup play (1963), the first African-American man to win the U.S. Open singles title (1968), the first African-American man to win the Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
singles title (1975), and the first African-American to captain the Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
team (1981).
John Jasper (1812–1901) Founder and the first Reverend of the Sixth Mt. Zion Baptist Church. During the time before the Civil War
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
, when slave marriages were not recognized as being legal, Mr. Jasper was authorized by the United States Freedman's Bureau to legalize slave marriages.
External References
Nonesuch Place: A History of the Richmond Landscape. T. Tyler Potterfield. The History Press, 2009Here I lay my burdens down: a history of the Black cemeteries of Richmond, Virginia. Veronica Alease Davis, Dietz Press, 2003