Welcome to the Laurel Cemetery Memorial Project Website
Project Overview
Laurel Cemetery (1852-1958) existed for over 100 years as a nonsectarian cemetery for Baltimore's African American community. In its early years, it was a premier burial site for people across Black Baltimore’s socioeconomic spectrum. However, years of improper maintenance led to the eventual demolition of the site in 1958. Today, the Belair-Edison Crossing shopping center occupies the footprint of the old cemetery.
In spring 2014, University of Baltimore and Coppin State University professors initiated the Laurel Cemetery project as an inter-institutional project for students interested in cultural resource management, history, archaeology, and environmental sustainability. Through archaeological excavation, faculty and student researchers found conclusive evidence of existing burials. Their current efforts focus on public education, research into the lives of those buried at the site, and the erection of a memorial to recognize the burial ground.
Contribute to the Archive
If you have a picture of Laurel Cemetery or of an individual interred there, or a story about your memories of Laurel Cemetery, please contribute those here.
Contact us
Leave us a message, suggestion, or request.
