The Need for the Cemetery

As mentioned earlier, the Jermantown Cemetery was created on August 24, 1868 with the purchase of a deed by Alfred Whaley, Thomas Sinkfield, and Milton Brooks. This one acre of land was to be used as a community cemetery for people of color that were denied access and burial to the Fairfax City Cemetery just down the road. The reason black families could not be buried within the cemetery was not only because of the lingering segregationist sentiment in the area but because the Fairfax City cemetery was originally purchased,

"… as a burial place or cemetery for the re-interment of the bodies of such persons as the 'Ladies Memorial Association' of said County of Fairfax shall direct to be interred therein. Provided that in all cases such bodies shall be those of Confederate States' Soldiers, who fell in battle or died from wounds incident to and while they were in the service of the Confederate States, and who are now buried within the limits of said county, or who were citizens thereof at the time of death and are buried elsewhere…" -Cemetery's History, City of Fairfax

Even with the Union’s victory and the abolishment of slavery, the American people continued to be divided by racial inequality.

Jermantown Cemetery is located approximately one mile from the Fairfax City cemetery and is one acre big compared to the City’s 2 ⅓ acre cemetery. The creators of the Jermantown Cemetery were working with a smaller budget and a more compact spot than the city. While the Fairfax City cemetery is large, open and well maintained, the Jermantown Cemetery is small, lacking order, and messy.

The Fairfax City cemetery is located right outside Old Town and located in a good spot. Unlike the City cemetery, the Jermantown Cemetery is hard to access and easily noticeable along the main highway. Even back in the 1860s it was a hassle for colored families to traverse the extra mile to this cemetery.

The Need for the Cemetery