Mount Auburn Cemetery
National Register of Historic Places

Mount Auburn Cemetery

Baltimore (Independent City), Baltimore County, Maryland
Listed
September 6, 2001
Type
District
Period
Colonial
Ref No.
01000456

About this property

Mount Auburn Cemetery is a historic African American cemetery and national historic district in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Overlooking the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River to the east, Baltimore's Downtown to the north and railroad tracks to the south, Mt. Auburn Cemetery is surrounded by the Cherry Hill, Westport, Mt. Winans and Lakeland communities. One of the most historic and largest African American cemeteries in Baltimore, Mt. Auburn Cemetery was formed in 1872, by the Reverend James Peck in protest of segregation against the White Methodist Church. Its grounds encompass 34 acres (140,000 m2) and holds more than 55,000 interred. Designated on the local and national historic registers, the cemetery was once known as "The City of the Dead for Colored People" since it was the only place a person of color could be buried. Once part of a farm, the land was given to the Methodist Church and assigned to the Sharp Street Memorial United Methodist Church to oversee its grounds. Over the years the cemetery has fallen into total neglect with only a portion of its front acreage remaining identifiable as a cemetery. Mt. Auburn Cemetery holds the remains of some of Baltimore's and the nation's "movers and shakers" of the local civil rights movement. In addition to runaway slaves, the cemetery contains the remains of the first African American ship chandler; clergymen; the first female funeral home director, Civil War and civil rights activists, lawyers, doctors, teachers, military veterans, founders of national fraternities’ and sororities’ and the ancestors of thousands of African-American families. Mount Auburn Cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. Joe Gans (1874-1910), boxing's first African American World Champion (1901-1908). William Ashbie Hawkins (1862-1941), early African American bishop in the African Methodist Church, and one of Baltimore's first African American lawyers. Lillie Mae Carroll Jackson (1889-1975), pioneering civil rights activist who brought the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to Baltimore and was its leader for 35 years. Edgar Amos Love (1891-1974), one of three founders of Omega Psi Phi fraternity. John H. Murphy Sr. (1840-1922), the founder of the Baltimore Afro-American. Mount Auburn Cemetery, Baltimore City, including photo dated 1997, at Maryland Historical Trust The Historical Marker Database, Mount Auburn Cemetery Marker "Mobtown Beat: The Plot Sickens, Mount Auburn Cemetery Is Still In Shambles," By Jason Torres, Baltimore City Paper, Posted May 30, 2007. Historic images of Mt. Auburn cemetery from the Afro-American newspaper

Location

2614 Annapolis Rd.
Baltimore (Independent City), Baltimore County, Maryland
39.25971, -76.64014

Categories

BLACK
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Mount Auburn Cemetery

This page lists Mount Auburn Cemetery. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Mount Auburn Cemetery report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Montgomery Ward Warehouse and Retail Store
Industrial
1.2 mi
Equitable Gas Works
Industrial
1.3 mi
Mount Clare
Industrial
1.3 mi
Carrollton Viaduct
Early Republic
1.3 mi
Parker Metal Decoration Company Plant
Industrial
1.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Mount Auburn Cemetery listed on the National Register?

Mount Auburn Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 6, 2001.

What type of historic resource is Mount Auburn Cemetery?

Mount Auburn Cemetery is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Mount Auburn Cemetery?

The period of significance for Mount Auburn Cemetery is recorded as the colonial era.

Can I research the history near Mount Auburn Cemetery?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Mount Auburn Cemetery will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Baltimore County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Baltimore County.

Explore BaltimoreCounty ›

More historic places in Maryland

Browse all historic places in Maryland.

View Marylandhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Maryland history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Marylandhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Mount Auburn Cemetery will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report