Category: African Burying Ground, Bedminster, New Jersey

Categories: Somerset County, New Jersey, Cemeteries | Somerset County, New Jersey, African-American Cemeteries | Bedminster, New Jersey

Profiles are placed in this category with this text [[Category:African Burying Ground, Bedminster, New Jersey]] .

The land for this burying ground was purchased in 1801 to be used by the "black people of the neighborhood". It was purchased from Aaron Melick by Richard, who was enslaved by the said Aaron Melick, Robert Aaron, a free black man, and Yaff, who was enslaved by Aaron Van Dorn.

The township purchased the land in 1935 and for years, the town hall was on the land, though it was eventually demolished after being vacated in 2004. In 2013, the township passed an ordinance designating one tenth of an acre there as a historic area and researchers were able to identify eight people who were buried there from the Dutch Reformed Church's burial records.

Cemetery Information and history:

• African Burying Ground at the Historical Marker Database
• "8 people ID'd at Bedminster 'African Burying Ground,'" NJ.com (https://www.nj.com/somerset/2013/09/8_people_idd_at_bedminster_african_burying_ground.html : accessed 28 Jan 2023).
• "A Unique Bedminster Cemetery-'God’s Acre,'" Mr. Local History Project (https://www.mrlocalhistory.org/bedminsterslavecemetery/ : accessed 28 Jan 2023).

This page was last modified 20:35, 2 August 2023. This page has been accessed 37 times.