Geer Cemetery cleanup project underway

For the first time since 1992, efforts are being made to clean up Geer Cemetery, a 19th/20th-century African-American cemetery in the Duke Park neighborhood. Friends of Geer Cemetery (FGC) is leading efforts to clarify ownership of the cemetery, identify the graves, and clear the land of brush and debris.


Geer Cemetery is located on Colonial Street between McGill Place and Camden Avenue. The gravestones, many marking the graves of ancestors of Duke Park residents, can barely be seen under the dense thickets of poison ivy, wisteria and other weeds.


Historical research by Jesse Eustice—FGC secretary and Duke Park neighborhood resident—indicates that the cemetery was sold by Jesse Geer in 1877. The cemetery was in use from that time until either 1939 or 1944. According to legend, the land was first used as a cemetery when an 11-year-old farm hand on Geer’s farm was killed in an accident and buried under a tree. Although there are only 117 tombstones in the cemetery, records indicate that anywhere from 1500 to 2000 people might be buried in this small plot of land. Burials were stopped by Durham County due to multiple burials in the same spot.


FGC is currently an ad hoc group of neighbors, civic leaders, genealogists and historians who are interested in preserving this neglected piece of history right here in our neighborhood. At the July 7 meeting, four subcommittees were formed: Authority, Graves, Funding and Volunteers.


The Authority subcommittee has recently heard from Emanuel McGirt, the assistant city attorney, verifying that the city has the authority to enter and clean an abandoned cemetery. Ownership of the Geer Cemetery land is unclear.


The Graves committee is working on identifying all the graves in the cemetery. Some names were identified during the 1992 cleanup and published in a booklet Reclaiming Yesterday, published by the now-defunct Durham Service Corps. A map of the cemetery was apparently made at that time, but the location of the map is unknown. Some people have death certificates or deeds to cemetery plots indicating that their ancestors are buried there; others believe they have relatives buried there based on oral family histories.


The Funding committee, besides looking for sources of funding, is investigating whether to remain an ad hoc group or organize as a non-profit.


The Volunteers committee is looking for people to help with the initial clearing. Ernie Mills, executive director of the Durham Rescue Mission, is able to call on some of the men at the Mission who want to give back to the community. Several Duke Park neighbors have also offered their assistance. Efforts are in progress to use Round-up to clear the land of poison ivy before the rest of the clearing begins. A date will probably be set for this fall to do the major clearing of brush.


The next meeting of the Friends of Geer Cemetery is scheduled for August 11, 2003, at 4:30pm. The meeting will be held in the conference room of the Durham County Library at 300 Roxboro Rd.


If you are interested in finding out more about this project, or in volunteering your efforts or expertise, you can either attend the meeting on August 11 or contact Jesse Eustice at jteustice@aol.com.