Pine Street Colored Cemetery
Site Brief:
Founded: ca. 1860
Location: Gallipolis, OH
Additional name(s): None
Affiliate group(s): None
History:
The Pine Street Colored Cemetery is a four-acre, 162-year-old cemetery that sits on the edge of downtown Gallipolis, Ohio. Many of those buried in the space were members of the John Gee African Methodist Episcopal Church, today known as the John Gee Black Historical Center. The center supervises the cemetery’s upkeep and includes its history in school tours and educational programming.
The Pine Street Colored Cemetery is important to both Gallipolis and Black American history because it houses prominent locals and the ancestors of many area residents. Laid to rest includes Leah Stewart, the first African American to live in Gallipolis; Phoebe Smith, who established the local Mutual Aid Society; and at least fifty-seven soldiers. Also buried is the namesake of the historical center and cemetery founder, John Gee. He was a wealthy Black carpenter and Gallipolis resident who donated the four acres to create a space for his newly-deceased wife, who was not allowed to reside in the all-White cemetery nearby. The Pine Street Colored Cemetery then became a place of rest for generations of Black Gallipolis locals and is today a culturally significant landmark.
