Speedwell Cemetery
Site Brief:
Founded: Unknown; 1942 - Reinternment
Location: Richmond, KY
Additional name(s): Park Cemetery; Cemetery B
Affiliate group(s):
Friends of the Bluegrass Memorial Cemeteries
History:
Speedwell Cemetery, located on Speedwell Road, is an approximately 7.5-acre site explicitly designated as the segregated final resting place for the African American community whose homes and ancestral burial grounds were seized by the Army in order to make the Blue Grass Army Depot in 1942. This site powerfully embodies the deep-seated racial hierarchies of the era, extending even to the treatment of the deceased, as they were segregated with white individuals buried in the Bluegrass Memorial Cemetery. Speedwell Cemetery received a substantial number of relocated remains, approximately 900. Though the identities of many are tragically lost—a direct consequence compounded by decades of neglect that disproportionately affected this site. At its entrance, a chain-link fence with a gate provides access. Beyond the grave markers themselves, no other structures are present within the cemetery. Among those identified is Private Edward Francis (1830-1897), a U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) veteran of the 114th USCI, born into slavery, who gained freedom through his courageous service in the Civil War. His personal letters home vividly reveal his deep longing for his enslaved wife and three children, his gratitude for health and strength during his service, and his determination to learn to read and write. Francis's story, alongside those of other USCT veterans interred here, such as Edmond D. Collins (1845-1903), Lewis Gilbert (1839-1909), Charles H. Todd (1836-1902), and Smith Todd (1838-1891), powerfully underscores their fight not only for freedom but also for civil rights and a place of equality for their families post-emancipation. The vast majority of Speedwell Cemetery is characterized by severe overgrowth, which has obscured countless graves, further exacerbating the historical erasure of marginalized communities. This overgrowth has also threatened and damaged any remaining grave markers. Many graves are humbly marked with only a fieldstone. While a small percentage of graves are still visible in an open grassy area, many more remain completely hidden beneath dense overgrowth and underbrush, rendering them inaccessible and tragically lost to memory.
