Saving A Cemetery: Grassroots Archaeology and Activism at Walter Pierce Park

Join the DC Preservation League and the Walter Pierce Park Archaeology Project on Wednesday, November 16th at 12:00 PM EDT (9:00 AM PT) for a webinar exploring the history and archaeology of Walter Pierce Park.

Located between Calvert Street and Adams Mill Road N.W., Walter Pierce Park originally served as a large burial site for African Americans and Quakers in the 1800s. Following the closure of the cemeteries in 1890, the gravesites fell into disrepair. Various threats of development have come and gone, but the Walter Pierce Park Archaeology Project and the concerned community have worked diligently since 2005 to document and protect the site.

In recent years, an archaeological survey has revealed even more about the cemeteries and who is buried in Walter Pierce Park. Hear from a community activist, a descendant of individuals buried on the property, and an archaeologist who worked on the site about the significance and ongoing preservation of this important DC site.

Panelists include Mary Belcher, Dr. Shayla Monroe, and Andre Ferrell. 

Image of Dr. Shayla Monroe and independent historian Barbara Bates conducting research at the D.C. Archives. Photograph courtesy of Mary Belcher.