Portsmouth African Burying Ground facts for kids
Portsmouth African Burying Ground Memorial Park
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| Details | |
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| Established | c. 1705 |
| Abandoned | c. 1902 |
| Location |
Chestnut Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
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| No. of graves | 200 |
The Portsmouth African Burying Ground is a special memorial park in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It's built over an old burial site from the 1700s. This site holds the remains of nearly 200 African people, some who were free and some who were enslaved. It's the only place like it in New England that archaeologists have confirmed from that time.
Workers found this important site in 2003 while digging for a manhole. They uncovered the remains of eight people. Scientists later confirmed these individuals were of African heritage. Among them were four men, one woman, and one child. The others couldn't be identified.
Contents
Discovering the Past: History of the Burying Ground
We don't know the exact year the first person was buried here. However, maps from as far back as 1705 show this cemetery. People stopped using the gravesite in the late 1700s. Still, it was mentioned in a newspaper in the mid-1800s. City maps continued to show the cemetery until 1902.
Over many years, the city grew and changed. Roads were paved, sewers were built, and new buildings went up. All these changes covered the old burial ground. In 2000, a special marker was placed nearby. It helped people remember the burying ground along the Black Heritage Trail.
Uncovering the Remains and Creating a Memorial
In 2003, maintenance workers made an amazing discovery. They found the remains of thirteen people during their routine work. Archaeologists then carefully studied eight of these individuals. They used DNA tests to confirm their African heritage. Five other grave locations were known but not dug up.
In 2004, the Portsmouth City Council formed a special group. This group, called the African Burying Ground Committee, had one goal. They wanted to find the best way to honor this important site. After five years of planning, they presented their ideas. The Portsmouth City Council approved their design for a memorial park.
Jerome Meadows was chosen in 2008 to create the park's design. The beautiful memorial park was officially opened on May 23, 2015. On this same day, the eight individuals whose remains were studied were reburied with respect. The memorial cost over $1.1 million. This money came from local people, businesses, and the city of Portsmouth. On May 23, 2016, the city celebrated the park's one-year anniversary.
Exploring the Memorial Park
The memorial park is a peaceful place for people to visit. It sits in a walking area between State and Court streets. The park has several important features:
- An Entry Piece with sculptures of an African woman and an African male.
- The Petition Line, which is words from a 1779 request for freedom. This petition was written by twenty enslaved people from Portsmouth.
- An Information Marker that tells more about the site.
- A Ceremonial Burial Cover, which is a round lid. It seals the underground vault where the remains were reburied.
- Eight Community Figures, which are sculptures representing the community.
- A Decorative Railing with patterns inspired by Kinte cloth, a traditional African fabric.
The Entry Piece: Stories in Stone and Bronze
The main entrance to the memorial park is on the north side. It features a large granite slab with two bronze statues. One statue, facing east towards Africa, represents the first enslaved people brought to New England. This large statue shows the mental strength needed to survive the journey and slavery. He wears simple clothes, showing the hard work enslaved people did to build colonial towns.
On the other side of the granite, facing west, is a statue of an African woman. The artist, Jerome Meadows, said she represents Mother Africa. She shows the sadness of losing family, friends, and community members. These losses happened when people were separated during the slave trade. She wears a traditional West African dress and headdress. Both statues have an arm reaching out along the granite slab. Their hands are close but do not touch. This symbolizes the separation that African enslaved people experienced for over 200 years.
Images for kids
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The Petition Line. Portsmouth African Burying Ground Memorial Park
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Portsmouth African Burying Ground Memorial Park
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Inscription on a Community Figure. Portsmouth African Burying Ground Memorial Park
