Community rallies to preserve Knoxville African American cemetery and memorialize Black Veterans buried in unmarked graves

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Frederick County, Maryland — The Knoxville African American Cemetery is the final resting place for more than 130 African Americans. Among them are veterans of the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and later conflicts.

Black veterans at Knoxville African American cemetery honored

Many graves carry only fieldstones. Some hold no markers at all. Loved ones, or the land itself, remember where they rest.

Now, thanks to local volunteers and descendants, several veterans will finally receive recognition. The Department of Veterans Affairs has approved official headstones for those buried in unmarked graves.

GoFundMe

One of them is Warren D. Garner (1840–1918), who served in the 4th U.S. Colored Infantry during the Civil War. He later became a trustee of the cemetery and signed its original deed in 1893.

The new markers are part of a broader effort to honor those buried at the site and preserve its history for future generations.

The Department of Veterans Affairs provides grave markers but does not cover installation costs. Volunteers are now raising funds to buy concrete, gravel, tools and other supplies needed to install the markers with dignity.

Donations will also support cemetery cleanup and maintenance. The effort aims to restore and preserve this important piece of African American history.

GoFundMe

A GoFundMe has been created to support this noble initiative to preserve history.

“Your support will help ensure these heroes are no longer forgotten. Every donation brings us closer to giving these veterans and this important cemetery the recognition they’ve long been denied,” the GoFundMe reads.

Visit the cemetery’s findagrave.com page.