Persons of Color Cemetery, Kinderhook NY

Mar 2

Site Brief:

Founded: 1816

Location: Kinderhook, NY

Additional name(s): None

Affiliate group(s): None

History:

Established ca. 1816 exclusively for the use of the area’s black population, the Persons of Color Cemetery at Kinderhook is a historically significant resource that illuminates an important and underrepresented aspect of this early Dutch-settled village’s history. The land on which this burial ground was established was willed for this purpose by John Rogers, a native of Ireland who came to Kinderhook ca. 1795. Rogers recognized the need for a place of repose for Kinderhook’s African-Americans and willed the property, one rood of land, to serve as “a cemetery for the people of colour in said Town ok Kinderhook to be used for that purpose and none other.” The Persons of Color Cemetery was in use for burials until ca. 1861, when it was closed due to lack of space for further interments. A 1914 account indicated that it was used until “every available inch was taken up.” Archeological studies estimate that there may be more than 500 sets of remains on the property. The Persons of Color Cemetery is located adjacent to the village park, Rothermel Park, and contains 15 headstones, 11 of which have legible names and dates of birth and/or death. The cemetery is now listed with the National Register of Historic Sites, as well as the New York State Register of Historic Places, and was formally re-consecrated during a ceremony held on May 13, 2017. The restoration and preservation of the cemetery has been a community effort. The property has been fenced with donated sections of 19th-century wrought-iron fencing, interspersed with planters that are maintained by the Kinderhook Garden Club. The park where the cemetery is located is an active gathering place for the community; village ballfields are located here and the Empire State Trail has a trailhead in the park, ensuring that many walkers and bikers pass by the cemetery. Local residents, as well as many visitors, stop by to read the historic site sign as well as the interpretative sign financed by the Pomeroy Foundation. The Village is currently establishing walking tours and brochures featuring the Persons of Color Cemetery. This site is open every day of the year between dawn and dusk.