African Cemetery No. 2 (Lexington, Kentucky)
Encyclopedia
African Cemetery No. 2, also known as The Cemetery of the Union Benevolent Society No. 2, is a historic burial site located in Lexington
, Kentucky
, United States
.
in 1869. The last burials in the cemetery took place in 1974.
In 1889, 300 bodies were moved from the Presbyterian Cemetery on Limestone Street to African Cemetery No. 2 under the supervision of C. O. H. Thomas.
In 1973, Lexington city government took control of the cemetery. In 1979, the African Cemetery No. 2, Incorporated was organized to save the cemetery.
In June 2003, a Kentucky Historical Highway Marker was placed on the site. The cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on March 31, 2004.
.
Clarence Espy was one of the soldiers who served with the 369th Infantry, the regiment which became known as the "Harlem Hell Fighters". Espy, a native of Lexington, was awarded the Croix de Guerre
, France
's highest military honor.
R.C.O. Benjamin, a journalist
and an attorney
, was murdered on October 2, 1900 during an altercation involving voting rights for African American
s. In 1910, a monument was dedicated at his grave site.
Thoroughbred
Racing Hall of Fame
jockey
, Isaac Burns Murphy
was originally buried in African Cemetery No. 2. Murphy, the first jockey to win three Kentucky Derby
s, died February 12, 1896 of pneumonia
. In 1967, his remains were moved to the Man o' War
grave site off Russell Cave Road, and was moved again in 1987 to the Kentucky Horse Park
.
The approach to preserving the cemetery grave stones was the subject of a paper by M. Riegerta and A. Turkington. The paper published in Building and Environment discusses the "scientific knowledge of decay processes with conservation theory and the needs of stakeholders".
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Founding and history
The first burials occurred on the property as early as the 1820s. The Colored Peoples Union Benevolent Society No. 2 purchased the property for use as a cemeteryCemetery
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...
in 1869. The last burials in the cemetery took place in 1974.
In 1889, 300 bodies were moved from the Presbyterian Cemetery on Limestone Street to African Cemetery No. 2 under the supervision of C. O. H. Thomas.
In 1973, Lexington city government took control of the cemetery. In 1979, the African Cemetery No. 2, Incorporated was organized to save the cemetery.
In June 2003, a Kentucky Historical Highway Marker was placed on the site. The cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on March 31, 2004.
Burials
The eight acre (3.2 ha) cemetery contains over 5,000 graves, of which 1,200 are identified with less than 600 being recognized with markers. More than 100 graves are those of military veterans, with 49 being U.S. Colored Troops of the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
's highest military honor.
R.C.O. Benjamin, a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and an attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, was murdered on October 2, 1900 during an altercation involving voting rights for African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s. In 1910, a monument was dedicated at his grave site.
Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
Racing Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
, Isaac Burns Murphy
Isaac Burns Murphy
Isaac Burns Murphy was an African-American Hall of Fame jockey, who is considered one of the greatest riders in American Thoroughbred horse racing history. Murphy won three Kentucky Derbies.-Early life:...
was originally buried in African Cemetery No. 2. Murphy, the first jockey to win three Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
s, died February 12, 1896 of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
. In 1967, his remains were moved to the Man o' War
Man O' War
Man O' War, man o' war or manowar may refer to:* Man-of-war, a warship* Man of war for uses with this spelling - Places :...
grave site off Russell Cave Road, and was moved again in 1987 to the Kentucky Horse Park
Kentucky Horse Park
Kentucky Horse Park is a working horse farm and an educational theme park opened in 1978 in Lexington, Kentucky. It is located off Kentucky State Highway 1973 and Interstate 75 in northern Fayette County in the United States...
.
Restoration
On April 4, 2002, volunteers from Canine Solutions International searched, mapped, and studied the physical grounds of the cemetery.The approach to preserving the cemetery grave stones was the subject of a paper by M. Riegerta and A. Turkington. The paper published in Building and Environment discusses the "scientific knowledge of decay processes with conservation theory and the needs of stakeholders".
See also
- African American historyAfrican American historyAfrican-American history is the portion of American history that specifically discusses the African American or Black American ethnic group in the United States. Most African Americans are the descendants of captive Africans held in the United States from 1619 to 1865...
- Lexington in the American Civil WarLexington in the American Civil Warthumb|[[John Hunt Morgan Memorial]] in downtown LexingtonLexington, Kentucky was a city of importance during the American Civil War, with notable residents participating on both sides of the conflict. These included John C. Breckinridge, Confederate generals John Hunt Morgan and Basil W...
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Fayette County, KentuckyNational Register of Historic Places listings in Fayette County, KentuckyThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Fayette County, Kentucky.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Fayette County, Kentucky, United States...