Mount Olive Cemetery (Wilmington, Delaware)

Mount Olive Cemetery is a historic Black cemetery located in Wilmington, Delaware. Mount Olive was once one of the only places in New Castle County where African Americans were legally allowed to be buried.[1] Many African American soldiers were buried in Mount Olive.[2]

Mount Olive Cemetery can trace its roots back to Reverend Peter Spencer's church in Wilmington where Black residents were buried, starting in 1861.[3][4] Later, there were a number of Black cemeteries in the downtown area.[5] In the early 1900s, a project to move bodies from some of these cemeteries led to around 13,000 people being moved and buried at the first Mount Olive.[5] In 1914, all Black cemeteries inside Wilmington city limits were condemned.[3][5] A second location for Mount Olive continued to accept burials until the 1980s.[3][5]

By the 1970s, efforts to clean up the cemetery were underway. At this time, it was overgrown and many of the monuments were in poor shape.[6] A group to aid the care and upkeep of the burial ground, the Friends of Mount Olive, was formed in 1980.[7][8]

Notable burials

References

  1. ^ Milford, Phil (1991-05-23). "Parade to Honor Black Servicemen". The News Journal. p. 26. Retrieved 2025-06-17 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Kaulessar, Ricardo (29 September 2022). "The News Journal Subscription Offers, Specials, and Discounts". Delaware Online. Retrieved 2025-06-17.
  3. ^ a b c "Mount Olive Cemetery". Black Cemetery Network. Retrieved 2025-06-17.
  4. ^ a b "Mt. Olive Cemetery". Mother African Union. Retrieved 2025-06-17.
  5. ^ a b c d Johnson, Anitra (2025-01-19). "Article clipped from The News Journal". The News Journal. pp. A17. Retrieved 2025-06-17 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Howe, Arthur (1979-04-23). "Cemetery Still Unfit to be Dead In". The Morning News. p. 3. Retrieved 2025-06-17 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Milford, Phil (1979-04-23). "Land That Time Forgot". The Morning News. p. 3. Retrieved 2025-06-17 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Mount Olive Cemetery Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 2025-06-17.
  9. ^ "Caroline Williams is Dead at 96". The News Journal. December 21, 1971. Retrieved 17 June 2025 – via Newspapers.com.


39°45′26″N 75°35′52″W / 39.7572°N 75.5978°W / 39.7572; -75.5978

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