Walter Pierce Cemeteries Talk at Martin Luther King Library October 29 From: [email protected] To: Mary Belcher Sent: Monday, October 21, 2013 8:15:25 PM Subject: Walter Pierce Cemeteries Talk at Martin Luther King Library October 29 Dear friends interested in the Walter Pierce Park cemeteries: Please join us for “Lost and Found: Recovering the Cemeteries at Walter Pierce Park” on Tuesday, October 29, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., in the Washingtoniana Room of the Martin Luther King Library. This special presentation will describe the results of the seven-year archaeological investigation of the African American and Quaker burial grounds at the city park, where the remains of more than 8,400 men, women and children were laid to rest during the 19th Century. Biological anthropologist Mark Mack of Howard University began the archaeological survey of the Walter Pierce site in 2005, after Adams Morgan neighbors became concerned that a city construction project planned for the park would disturb unmarked graves. Professor Mack, the laboratory director of the landmark African Burial Ground project in New York, worked closely with the concerned community to protect and honor the Walter Pierce cemeteries until his death in 2012. In the course of the work—which involved no digging or invasive methods—the Walter Pierce Park archaeological team found the exposed remains of at least nine individuals, along with coffin hardware, headstones, and cemetery-related artifacts and land features. Team historians documented the names, ages, addresses and other biographical information of the 8,428 people buried at the site. Those buried include at least 38 Civil War soldiers and sailors and two post-Civil-War Buffalo soldiers. The library presentation will feature the discoveries of the project, as well as a look ahead to protecting and honoring the cemeteries. Project historian Mary Belcher will be joined by concerned-community members Dawne Young and Gary Shorter, whose ancestors founded Mt. Pleasant Plains Cemetery. No RSVP is required. All are welcome! The Martin Luther King Library is located at 9th and G Streets, NW, next to the Gallery Place Metro stop. The Washingtoniana Room is on the third floor of the library. Questions? Ask Mary Belcher at [email protected]. Read the archaeological report and see the database of burials at walterpierceparkcemeteries.org.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 11:17:34 +0000
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