The Forgotten Black Cemeteries of Georgetown: Preserving History Amid Gentrification
Georgetown, now one of Washington, D.C.’s most affluent neighborhoods, was once a vibrant hub of African‑American life. Before the wave of gentrification that began in the 1930s, the area housed thousands of Black residents, many of whom were laid to rest in two historic burial grounds: Mount Zion Cemetery and the Female Union Band Society Cemetery.
Origins and Community Roots
Mount Zion Cemetery is associated with Mount Zion United Methodist Church, one of the city’s oldest Black congregations, whose origins trace back to the early 1800s. The Female Union Band Society, founded in 1842, provided mutual aid and burial services for free Black women and their families. Together, these sites are estimated to hold the remains of eight to ten thousand individuals, a testament to a thriving community that predates the Civil War.
Among the identifiable graves are:
- The 1851 stele of Reverend Cartwright, born into slavery and later the first Black Methodist pastor in the Baltimore area.
- The modest marker of Nannie, a seven‑year‑old girl who died in 1856; her grave was once adorned with toys, a poignant reminder of childhood lost.
Current Preservation Efforts
The Black Georgetown Foundation, led by president Neville Waters and executive director Lisa Fager, oversees the stewardship of these cemeteries. Waters notes a personal connection: his great‑grandfather, Charles Turner—freed from slavery at age six—is interred there.
Through meticulous archival work, the foundation has recovered approximately 4,500 names of those buried. Fager explains, “We try to call everyone by name, and so there is a lot of research.” This effort is supported by the foundation’s partnership with the active Mount Zion United Methodist Church, which co‑owns the property.
Challenges and Legal Context
Decades of neglect have left the sites vulnerable. In 1930, a bridle path—later converted to a cycle track—was laid over portions of the graves, displacing stones and damaging markers. Today, visitors encounter crooked, broken, or unreadable headstones.
Environmental pressures compound the problem. Stormwater runoff from surrounding streets drains into the burial grounds, causing flooding that erodes foundations. In 2021, the foundation brought the issue to the city’s attention, prompting a project to reroute wastewater that began in late 2025.
Recognition at the federal level came with the African American Burial Grounds Preservation Act, passed by Congress in 2022. Although the legislation aimed to protect sites like Georgetown’s, it has not yet received funding, leaving local groups to shoulder the burden.
Anthropologist Antoinette Jackson of the University of South Florida, who directs the Black Cemetery Network, notes that the network’s index of 210 African‑American cemeteries represents only the “tip of the iceberg.” She adds that during segregation, Black cemeteries were routinely denied the oversight, protection, and legal resources afforded to white counterparts.
Community Engagement and Future Vision
In December 2025, the Black Georgetown Foundation secured a $125,000 restoration grant from the city—a step toward transforming the cemeteries into a historical memorial park. Fager envisions a space where visitors can learn about Black Georgetown’s legacy while honoring those interred.
The foundation already offers guided tours for school groups and hosts commemorative events, including Juneteenth celebrations that mark the end of slavery in the United States. These programs aim to counteract the erasure of Black history in a rapidly changing neighborhood.
A stark reminder of the stakes came in 2023, when Nannie’s gravesite was vandalized and burned. Fager recalled holding a charred toy from the scene, saying, “That’s why we keep this, so we don’t forget.”
As political discourse sparks renewed interest in American history, the foundation’s work underscores a broader truth: preserving these burial grounds is not merely about stone and soil, but about safeguarding the narratives that shaped the nation’s capital.
