PREVIOUS QUESTION ABOUT NEW JERSEY HISTORY
Dear NJHM:
What is the story of the Gethsemane Cemetery in Bergen County? I am told it is a historical site due to slaves being buried there? Is this true? What is being done?
Nann
Dear Nann:
Gethsemane Cemetery in Little Ferry is the final resting place of at
least fifty African-Americans who died in the 1700's and 1800's. It
is believed that there are some slaves buried there, and there are
definitely at least two Civil War veterans interred. The black
sexton, Samuel Bass, was buried there, after he was denied burial at
the all-white Hackensack Cemetery in 1884. This denial caused such an
outrage that the Negro Burial Bill was passed in the New Jersey
Legislature. This bill disallowed race as a reason to deny burial in
a specific cemetery. The cemetery is now under the jurisdiction of
the Bergen County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs who plan
on doing some restoration work and research. They are also planning
to build an exhibit to help explain its history. Hope this helps and
let us know if you require any additional information.
SOURCE:
Old Burial Grounds of New Jersey
By: Janice Kohl Sarapin
Rutgers University Press, 1994 ---- BUY
THIS BOOK