Washington Park Cemetery facts for kids

Washington Park Cemetery is a historic cemetery in Berkeley, Missouri. It is a suburb near St. Louis, Missouri. This cemetery was a burial place for many African Americans. It was active from 1920 until 1980. The cemetery has gained attention for two main reasons. First, many graves were moved because of new construction. Second, local groups have worked hard to clean it up. This is because it was not cared for well for a long time.

A Look Back: History of the Cemetery

Washington Park Cemetery began in 1920. Two businessmen, Andrew Henry Watson and Joseph John Hauer, started it. They created it as a business to provide burial plots for African Americans. They aimed for it to be a "perpetual-care" site. This meant it would always be looked after. Over time, it became the largest African-American cemetery in the St. Louis area.

At that time, there was segregation in the United States. This meant Black and White people were often kept separate. White people did not want the cemetery built. But Watson and Hauer supported the rights of Black visitors. They even allowed them to have picnics on the cemetery grounds. Because of this, some people criticized them. They felt the cemetery was "disrupting" the quiet country land.

Changes Due to Construction

Later in the 1900s, three big construction projects affected the cemetery.

• In the late 1950s, a major highway, Interstate 70, was built. It took about 75 acres of the cemetery's land. The highway cut through the property and covered some graves.
• In 1972, the St. Louis Lambert International Airport expanded. This project took another nine acres from the cemetery.
• In 1992, the light rail system, MetroLink, also expanded. This took even more land.

Because of these three projects, many graves had to be moved. It is estimated that between 11,974 and 13,600 bodies were moved. This process is called "disinterment." Sadly, some families lost track of where their loved ones were reburied.

What's Happening Now

The cemetery stopped its business operations in 1980. Since then, it has caught the eye of activists and the media. People have been concerned about how it was managed. They also worried about its poor condition. There were even billboards placed on the cemetery grounds.

As of August 2020, those billboards have been removed. This happened after a legal agreement. The billboard company, DDI Media, settled with Wanda Brandon. She is a local resident and leads an activist group. Her group is called the Washington Park Cemetery Anti-Desecration League.

In 2019, the city of Berkeley bought the cemetery for $30. Now, different volunteer groups are working to restore it. They hope to turn it into a special heritage site. This site would honor its history and the people buried there.

Other important African American cemeteries nearby include:

• The Greenwood Cemetery (started in 1874)
• Father Dickson Cemetery (started in 1903)
• Quinette Cemetery (started in 1866)

People Buried Here

Many notable people are buried at Washington Park Cemetery. Here are a few:

• Miles Dewey Davis Jr. (1898–1962) – He was a dental surgeon. He was also the father of the famous jazz musician Miles Davis.
• Joseph E. Mitchell (1876–1952) and William Mitchell (1896–1945) – These brothers started the newspaper, the St. Louis Argus.
• Charles Hubbard Thompson (1891–1964) – He was a ragtime pianist and composer. He is known for his song "Lily Rag."
• George L. Vaughn (1885–1950) – He was a lawyer. He is famous for representing J.D. Shelley in a very important Supreme Court case, Shelley v. Kraemer (1948).