SITE DIRECTORY
To learn more about any of the BCN sites listed below, click “Read more” to view individual site briefs. To search for a specific BCN site, use the search bar below:
Mount Hope (MT. Hope)
Mount Hope (Mt. Hope)
FOUNDED: 1914
ADDITIONAL NAMES: Cementerio Monte Esperanza
AFFILIATION(S):
Corozal-Gatun-Mt. Hope Cemetery Preservation Foundation (CGM)
HISTORY: Mount Hope Cemetery in Colón, Panama—originally established around 1850 during the construction of the Panama Railroad as "Monkey Hill Cemetery" serves as the final resting place for thousands of international laborers who built Panama's vital transit infrastructure. It was named ‘Monkey Hill” due to the number of monkeys that inhabited the area. The site expanded dramatically during the French and American eras of the Panama Canal's construction, becoming highly segregated under the U.S. "Gold and Silver Roll" racial hierarchy, where thousands of Afro-Caribbean workers from islands like Jamaica and Barbados were laid to rest. Throughout the 20th century, Afro-Antillean communities actively fought against "Jim Crow" burial practices and petitioned local Colón authorities to preserve the site's dignity. While the remains of many American citizens were later relocated to the Corozal American Cemetery before the Panama Canal Zone was officially transferred back to Panama, Mount Hope remains a monumental but physically endangered monument to the immense human cost of global engineering, eventually earning a spot on the World Monuments Watch to combat systemic neglect and industrial encroachment.
Mt. Hope remains open for current burials.
BCN Contact Information:
Valerie I. Howell
Gatun Cemetery
Gatun Cemetery
FOUNDED: 1880s
ADDITIONAL NAMES: N/A
AFFILIATION(S):
Corozal-Gatun-Mt. Hope Cemetery Preservation Foundation (CGM)
HISTORY: Gatun Cemetery stands as a profound historical monument to the racially segregated "Silver Roll" system enforced during the Panama Canal construction era. Established around 1880, it served primarily as the final resting place for thousands of Black West Indian (Antillean) laborers and their families who faced grueling working conditions and systemic discrimination. Perched on high ground on the canal banks, it survived the flooding that created Lake Gatun, remaining a sacred sanctuary and national historic patrimony that honors the memory and sacrifices of those marginalized workers. Gatun Cemetery is closed to burials.
BCN Contact Information:
Valerie I. Howell
Corozal Cemetery
Corozal Cemetery
FOUNDED: 1905
ADDITIONAL NAMES: Silver Cemetery
AFFILIATION(S):
Pan Caribbean Sankofa
Corozal-Gatun-Mt. Hope Cemetery Preservation Foundation (CGM)
HISTORY: Corozal “Silver” Cemetery is a 46-acre historic segregated burial ground in Panama City, Panama, located beside the 17-acre Corozal American Cemetery & Memorial. It is the final resting place of thousands of West Indian and Panamanian laborers and their families, whose courage, labor, and sacrifice helped make the Panama Canal possible. More than 60,000 West Indian workers came to Panama to labor on this monumental undertaking, and many lost their lives to disease, dangerous working conditions, and the harsh realities of the Canal’s construction. However, the Canal Zone's racial, social, and economic inequalities often overshadowed their contributions.
After Panama took over the Canal Zone in 1999, it also assumed responsibility for the cemetery. Years of inadequate maintenance led to erosion, drainage problems, vandalism, and encroaching vegetation, threatening not only the cemetery itself but also the memories of those who sacrificed so much. Recognized in the 2010 World Monuments Watch, Corozal “Silver” Cemetery remains a sacred, endangered testament to a largely overlooked chapter of Panama Canal history—and a place where descendants still seek the recognition, dignity, and preservation their ancestors deserve. Declared a Historical Patrimony in 2012, Corozal is closed to burials.
BCN Contact Information:
Valerie I. Howell