Newburgh Colored Burial Ground Explained

Newburgh Colored Burial Ground
Nrhp Type:hd
Nocat:yes
Location:Broadway & Robinson Avenue (US 9W), Newburgh, New York
Coordinates:41.5007°N -74.0214°W
Built:1820
Added:March 31, 2010
Refnum:10000137[1]

Newburgh Colored Burial Ground is a historic cemetery and national historic district located at Newburgh in Orange County, New York.

The district consists of an archaeological site for a 19th-century burial ground containing approximately 100 graves located on the west and northwest sides of the Newburgh City Courthouse, possibly extending under adjacent Robinson Avenue. The cemetery was active between about 1832 and 1867.[2]

In 1908, a school building was built on top of the cemetery, apparently without removing the graves or remains of those interred there.[3] In 2008, renovations at the Broadway School unearthed the remains of 105 individuals. Six sets of remains were left on-site,[4] while the other 99 were taken into custody of the State University of New York at New Paltz.[5] The Broadway School building is now the City of Newburg Courthouse. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.[1]

In 2022, the City Council of Newburgh agreed to develop a memorial park in Downing Park.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: National Register of Historic Places. 2010-04-09. Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 3/29/10 Through 4/02/10. National Park Service.
  2. Web site: National Register of Historic Places Registration: Newburgh Colored Burial Ground. October 2009. 2010-05-31 . William E. Krattinger and Douglas Mackey. New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. See also: Web site: Accompanying five photos.
  3. News: 2021-08-28 . 200-year-old bones unearthed from Newburgh's 'Colored Burial Ground' may rest in Downing Park . en . Times Union . 2023-07-28.
  4. Web site: Postmortem examinations and the embodiment of inequality in 19th century United States. sciencedirect.com. 28 July 2023.
  5. News: 2022-05-20 . City Council agrees on location for the Newburgh Colored Burial Ground Memorial . en . Mid Hudson News . 2023-07-28.