Reviewed by: Audrey Johnson
Glenwood Cemetery is a new addition to federal historic registry
Huntsville’s oldest surviving African American cemetery — Oakwood Cemetery on Hall Avenue — is now listed on the U.S. Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.
Glenwood Cemetery is the Huntsville’s 75th resource to be added to the federal registry.
Glenwood Cemetery’s history
Glenwood Cemetery was established in 1870 on 10 acres of land between Holmes and Clinton avenues. It is the resting place of people born slaves, emancipated, and who lived out the remainder of their days in the Jim Crow South.
Some of the most notable people buried here include:
- Henry Binford, an educator
- Burgess Scruggs, a physician
- Charles Hendley Jr., editor of The Huntsville Gazette
- Daniel Brandon, alderman
- William Gaston, clergyman
Glenwood’s historic registration
Glenwood’s nomination was prepared by Dr. Caroline Swope, a local historic preservation specialist, and supported by retired educator and historian Ollye Conley.
“We are thrilled to have Glenwood Cemetery listed to the National Register of Historic Places. The bar for listing cemeteries to the National Register is extremely high. It is a testament to the historical significance of Glenwood and the hard work of people like Mrs. Conley and Dr. Swope that this sacred place is now designated at the federal level.”
Katie Stamps, City Preservation Planner
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a federal program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate and protect America’s historic resources.
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