Juneteenth is an annual holiday celebrated on June 19th to mark the end of slavery in the United States. We acknowledge and honor the lives of enslaved people in Washington who helped to construct much of this town’s history. Here is a special blog post by the Washington Waterfront Underground Railroad Museum on commemorating the lives of enslaved people in the greater Washington area.
While oral history can tell us where enslaved/freed enslaved people are buried in the greater Washington area, it is very helpful to have exact locations and markers. This is the marker showing where formerly enslaved people were buried. It is in the cemetery of the Zion Episcopal Church on Highway 264 East in Washington. Though the last names are not included on most of the names here, the dates of death are. The church built in 1856 is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was organized in 1738 and is one of the oldest in the state. Thank you, Zion Episcopal Church, for this tribute to honor those lives.
Credit: Washington Waterfront Underground Railroad Museum