Memorial Installation
Take the left branch of the path along the side of Memorial Park, which will lead you to a new memorial for the soldiers buried in this cemetery.
As one Dickinson research blog recounts:
From 1840 to 1902, around 100 people were buried in Lincoln Memorial Cemetery, one of Carlisle’s first Black cemeteries. This cemetery was the final resting place for 35 United States Colored Troops veterans. At the time of the cemetery’s use, many of the soldiers laid in graves without headstones. In 1882, the borough of Carlisle decided to change that. On May 25, 1882, it was announced in a Carlisle paper that the headstones had arrived and were beginning to be put into position. Finally, the black heroes of the Civil War and many other people, some who were former slaves, would be honored in a proper way, too. Many of which were former slaves able to create a new life for themselves. However in the 1970’s, despite many protests, the headstones of Lincoln Cemetery were removed and a park was placed on top of the bodies. The headstones were never seen again. All that remained as a reminder of these people and their history is a memorial plaque that listed off the names above and one headstone.
Today one can also find additional names painted around a flag in a fan shape. These are the family names of those buried here. The addition of these names and the painted sections of the plaza represent a recent initiative to encourage community recognition of those buried here, and to stimulate dialogue about how to memorialize them as vital contributors to Carlisle history.
(To Learn more, check out THIS BLOG and local NEWS COVERAGE including recent preservation efforts)
Exit the park south along Pitt Street and walk four blocks to Dickinson Ave. Ahead on your left you will see the entrance to The Cumberland County Historical Society. Just past the front doors is a black iron gate that leads into our next stop.