HOLLY OAK CEMETERY

FOUNDED: 1800s

ADDITONAL NAMES: None

AFFILIATION(S): None

HISTORY:

Holly Oak is one of the oldest African American cemeteries in Rapides Parish, Louisiana. Data has shown that enslaved people were buried in this cemetery, dating back to the 1800s. The cemetery, which is located in Pineville, is regarded as the most historic Black cemetery in Central Louisiana. The Holly Oak cemetery is the burial ground for many important people that had a significant impact on the community. Occupations of those buried at Holly Oak included things such as doctors, soldiers, teachers, lawyers, and civil right leaders. It is rumored that there is a mass grave of African American WWII soldiers buried in the Holly Oak Cemetery, due to the Lee Street Riot. The riot that took place Jan. 10, 1942, on Lee Street in Alexandria.  

This cemetery has many, many sunken and lost burials, some under weeds, some under water, some hidden in brush and nearby woods & brush. Residents that live on Holly Oak Street, as well as members of local churches in the area, have been working together to try and restore the cemetery.  

BCN Contact Information:

Wanda Johnson

Wanda.johnson7477@yahoo.com