Black History Rediscovered by Chance in the Capital Region

Although dead and gone, their stories live on. They walk in our dreams. They change our lives.

Rediscovered by chance, the Persons of Color Cemetery on Rothermel Lane in Kinderhook, NY was forgotten in time, until recently. Formerly known by residents as a “slaves’ cemetery,” the remains of an estimated 500 African Americans, former slaves and freed persons, were laid to rest on this local quarter-acre of land during the mid-1800s.

The Persons of Color Cemetery serves as a silent reminder of Kinderhook’s past, and the hard-working, lesser-known non-white population that helped form its future. The first US census of 1790 recorded 4,661 persons in the township of Kinderhook, 730 Heads of Families and a total of 638 slaves.

In November of 1815, this small parcel of land became a cemetery through an unlikely source: Irish Immigrant John Rogers. It was closed in 1875 as stated by Edward A. Collier in A History of Old Kinderhook, “…with coffin upon coffin.”

The largest gravestone is crafted with a low-relief carving in the form of a tulip. Inscribed are the words: “The journey of the just is blessed; a tribute of respect erected by the ladies of Kinderhook.” This tribute was bestowed upon Isabel Legget who died in 1854 at the age of 77. The reason for this tribute remains a mystery.

Of the existing gravestones, three belong to adults. Eight stones etched with poetic remembrances, mark the deaths of children. What caused their deaths is still unknown.

This forgotten burial ground laid fallow for years in overgrown fields. Its weathered headstones were only visited occasionally by children chasing a stray fly ball that escaped the adjacent baseball field in Rothermel Park.

Then, in 2016, the cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historical Places. In 2017, the cemetery was visited by neighbors and archaeologists, treated to a rededication ceremony and placing of an interpretive sign.

The interpretive sign at the cemetery states: “By about 1875 the cemetery was filled; more than 500 persons are estimated to be interred here.” This estimate allows for 21 square feet per burial (about 3 feet wide by 7 feet long), in 10,890 square feet (a quarter acre) resulting in approximately 518.5 burial plots. This scenario uses the likely plot size for most adults in the nineteenth century with children having smaller plots.

In November 2017, archaeologists from the New York State Museum conducted a Ground Penetrating Radar survey (GPR) to discover what lies beneath the surface with the least disturbance to individual gravesites. Preliminary findings seemed to echo Collier's comment, showing a large number of interments, many clustered together, burial on top of burial. The findings are still being calculated.

A documentary on the cemetery, Brought to Light: Unearthing the History of an African-American Cemetery in Kinderhook, NY is available on DVD and Blu-ray at Kinderhook Documentary | Barbara Reina Productions, LLC. The Persons of Color Cemetery is an historic point of interest in Discover Historic Kinderhook | A Walking Tour.