Saving Oberlin: African-American Historic Archaeology and Preservation in Raleigh, North Carolina

Summary

Free African-Americans established Oberlin Village outside Raleigh, North Carolina in 1866 at the end of the Civil War. Within two generations, the people of Oberlin had constructed churches, a school, a cemetery, shops, and many homes. Today, Oberlin continues to be an important site for African-American history and identity. For example, Oberlin Cemetery (established 1873) is one of only four African-American cemeteries in Raleigh. The cemetery’s more than 600 graves include many leading African-American figures in Raleigh’s history, and several unique features such as a rare wooden marker and graves covered in sea shells and some likely decorated with glass bottles. However, the village and its historic and archaeological resources are threatened by development and gentrification. This poster highlights collaborative efforts between a local non-profit group, the Friends of Oberlin Village, and university scholars and students in the region, to document and save Oberlin through such efforts as cemetery surveys, grave-marker research, comparative studies of freedman villages, and public education.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 22285