Catoctin Furnace African American Cemetery
Site Brief:
Founded: 1774
Location: Thurmont, MD
Additional name(s): N/A
Affiliate group(s):
Catoctin Furnace Historical Society, Inc.
History:
The Catoctin Furnace African American Cemetery was rediscovered in the 1970s during preconstruction archaeological surveys for the proposed Route 15 corridor. In 1979, an archaeological data recovery excavation was undertaken and 35 graves were excavated. The human remains and associated artifacts recovered during the State Highway Administration excavations were taken to the Smithsonian Institution where they remain.
The Catoctin Furnace Historical Society, Inc. began a reanalysis of the cemetery in 2014 including heavy metals, stable isotope, and aDNA. We also compiled documentary resources to help place the study results into the context of past and present living peoples with the goal of identifying the origins of and descendants of the 18th- and 19th-century enslaved workers at Catoctin Furnace. Forensic facial reconstructions of two enslaved ironworkers are in the Museum of the Ironworker and aDNA has identified five family groups.
The Catoctin Furnace African American Cemetery may represent the most complete African American cemetery connected with early industry in the United States and may hold the key to understanding the origins of skilled African iron workers in the industry. Ultimately, results of this research will be utilized to increase awareness of the contribution of the African American workers to the iron industry at Catoctin, educating and informing the public about the role of African Americans in the industrial development of the United States.
