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Slave Cemetery (Historical Marker)

GPS Coordinates: 38.7060466, -77.0890664

Slave Cemetery (Historical Marker)

Here follows the inscription written on this trailside historical marker:

Slave Cemetery
There are no records that document the number of enslaved or free African-Americans who are buried in this cemetery. From oral histories and a handful of early 19th-century visitor accounts, estimates range from 100-150 people. Among those individuals thought to be interred here is William Lee, George Washington's personal servant during the Revolutionary War, who was granted freedom and an annuity in Washington's will. In 2014, a multi-year archaeological survey began in order to better understand the cemetery's size and organization, and to find out how many people were laid to rest on this hilltop. No human remains are disturbed in this process.


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Here follows an article written by Joe A. Downer, the Archaeological Field Research Manager at Mount Vernon entitled, "Forgotten No Longer"

On an outcrop of land south of George Washington’s tomb lies the burial ground in which an unknown number of enslaved men, women, and children were laid to rest.

In 2014, archaeologists at Mount Vernon embarked on a multi-year archaeological survey of the site in an effort to learn more about the use of this space. Graves are not being excavated and no human remains are being disturbed. Rather, overlying soils are being excavated down until the top of a grave shaft is visible.

What are the cemetery's boundaries?
How many people are buried here?
How are burials arranged within the cemetery?

Answers to these questions could provide insight into the lives of the enslaved community that lived on Washington's estate, and enable the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association to better protect and preserve this sacred space for generations to come.

Commemoration

The exact dates of the cemetery's use are unknown, though it is believed burials were taking place here in the 18th and 19th centuries.

By the turn of the 20th century, evidence of graves in the burial ground began to disappear. In 1929, the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association (MVLA) erected a monument on the site to mark this sacred place. This marker is believed to be the earliest of its kind on a historic plantation.

The cemetery site had become overgrown by the 1980s, and the early memorial was lost amongst unchecked vegetation. Efforts to create a more visible marker culminated in the 1983 Slave Memorial, designed by students of the Howard University School of Architecture, in partnership with Black Women United for Action (BWUFA) and the MVLA.

Who is Buried Here?

Graves in the slave cemetery are unmarked, though we do have the names of a few individuals believed to be buried here, including Frank Lee, the Washington's butler who was present at the funeral of George Washington. Lee was freed according to the stipulations of Washington's will and remained at Mount Vernon until his death in 1821.

Washington's personal body servant throughout the Revolutionary War, William (Billy) Lee, is also believed to be buried in the Slave Cemetery. Like his brother, Frank, William Lee stayed at Mount Vernon after being freed outright in Washington's will, until his death c. 1828. It is believed that the mention of "Washington's favorite servant" in the 1846 Anonymous visitor account is in reference to William Lee.

In 1863, West Ford, a long-time servant of the Washington family, died at Mount Vernon and is thought to be the last individual buried in the cemetery. Ford was freed in 1829 and continued to work at Mount Vernon for the Washington family.

Historical Documents

Though George Washington kept meticulous records detailing the running of his estate, no writings from his lifetime have ever been found that mention the Slave Cemetery. We know through farm managers’ reports that coffins were being constructed for deceased slaves, though where those individuals were buried was not recorded.

It is not until the early to mid-19th century that we find visitor accounts mentioning the burial ground itself.

Only one historic map has been found that identifies the Slave Cemetery. Published by Currier and Ives in 1855, "Plan of Mount Vernon, The Home of Washington" shows 12 graves in the cemetery just southwest of Washington's tomb in a grove of trees. We believe this is merely a stylized representation of the burial ground, rather than a true depiction of the area, as other sources suggest there were at least 100-150 graves in the burial ground by 1855.

Geophysical Research

One goal of this archaeological project is to test the results of a geophysical survey that was conducted on the site in 1985. This early survey used Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) in an effort to find out how many individuals were buried in the cemetery and where graves may be located. GPR in 1985 detected 66 below-ground radar readings.

To date, archaeologists at Mount Vernon have been able to test 27 of these readings, finding that 81 percent correlated with grave shafts found through archaeology. While accurate in this regard, GPR also missed detecting some graves that have since been discovered as a result of this archaeological survey.

Graves

To date, archaeologists have discovered the locations of 46 burials in the Slave Cemetery.

The majority of these burials are organized into six rows running north-south. All burials are oriented east-west, or a close variation thereof.

Sixteen burials appear to be those of children, based on each grave shaft's length and width. Eight of these small burials occur in a single defined row near the western slope of the site. It is unclear if this grouping means that this area of the cemetery was intentionally set aside for children, or if it speaks to an event in which a number of small children passed away around the same time, and were therefore buried next to one another.

In two separate locations in the cemetery, burials are found overlapping one another, and at slightly different orientations. This may suggest that memory of where burials were located among the enslaved community faded over time. As a result, it is possible that later burials were unintentionally placed atop earlier ones.

Artifacts

Only a handful of historic-period artifacts have been recovered in the Slave Cemetery Archaeological Survey. None of these artifacts have been found in direct association with any particular grave shaft.

Prehistoric artifacts have been found throughout the project area in copious amounts, speaking to the Native American presence at Mount Vernon that predates the Washington family tenure. The majority of these artifacts consist of flakes and worked stones, showing us the various stages of stone tool-production that took place on the site.

Moving Forward

Much work remains to be done in the Slave Cemetery before we can understand precisely how many individuals call this spot their final resting place, and where exactly in the burial ground they are located. However, this important project has already taught us much about the use of this space at Mount Vernon.

For years, the burials in the Slave Burial Ground have gone unnumbered. Thanks in part to this archaeological survey, these individuals and their places of burial will be forgotten no longer.

Visit us online to learn more about this important project, and how you can become involved.

Joe A. Downer
Archaeological Field Research Manager
George Washington's Mount Vernon

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