The City of Raleigh added Oberlin Cemetery, 1014 Oberlin Rd., just north of Cameron Village, to its official list of historic landmarks.

The initial application to add Oberlin Cemetery to the list of Raleigh Historic Landmarks was revisited by the Raleigh City Council Jan. 15.  The Raleigh Historic Development Commission approved the application’s request and on Tuesday, Feb. 19 added the cemetery to the list of historic landmarks in Raleigh.

Cheryl Crooms, representative of an organization called Friends of Oberlin Cemetery, an organization united specifically to preserve and maintain the cemetery, said she has a deep connection to the landmark. 

“My family is there,” Crooms said. “My great-grandfather is buried there and my great-grandmother … the descendants of a lot of people that live in this area are buried there.”

Going on its 140th year, the cemetery has served as the city’s oldest black cemetery. In its earliest years, the cemetery was a small piece of a small town, Oberlin Village. Oberlin Cemetery was where early black residents, most of whom were slaves of the town, were buried under unmarked graves because it was their only permitted location.

Ben Jamison, Raleigh local, said he sees the landmark as a piece of his very own history.

“I grew up around this area, and I was always told there was a chance some of my oldest ancestors were buried there,” Jamison said. “It means a lot to me that it’s getting some notable recognition and that the city can have as much respect for it as I do.”

Friends of Oberlin Cemetery, a group dedicated to maintaining the cemetery, has embarked on numerous fundraising expeditions to raise money to buy the marker to identify the location as an official landmark. The marker costs $2000. 

Crooms said there are many projects the group strives to complete for the cemetery, but many are costly and will require financial assistance from the people of Raleigh.