Oberlin Cemetery Cleanup Project Continues on Nov. 7

The Friends of Oberlin Village invite the community to join them in the cleanup-project at the historic Oberlin Cemetery on Saturday, November 7 from 9 am till noon. The site is located at 1014 Oberlin Road, behind the Interact building. This cleanup day is the latest phase in an effort to prepare site for forensic equipment to determine how many persons are actually interred there, and where the graves lie. A recent cleanup revealed markers that had been long been hidden in the underbrush. The site is relatively large, and the work has to be done with care. Participants should come wearing long-sleeve shirts, closed-toe shoes, and work gloves. Volunteers are invited to bring tools such as wheelbarrows, small wagons, chain saws, weed trimmers, and pruners. This is a great opportunity for those who need to accumulate community service hours.

Established in 1873, Oberlin Cemetery serves as the final resting place for people who by law could not be buried anywhere else. It became an official Historic Landmark in 2013. The souls interred there include black doctors, lawyers, artisans, educators, ministers, and war veterans. There are believed to be over 600 graves, some still marked by ornate gravestones and monuments. Many of their descendants live in the Oberlin Village area, which is within University Park today. For more information about Oberlin Cemetery and the Friends of Oberlin Village, visit their website at www.friendsofoberlin.org.