City Cemetery
National Register of Historic Places

City Cemetery

Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina
Listed
September 11, 2008
Type
District
Period
Colonial
Ref No.
08000889

About this property

The City Cemetery of Raleigh, also known as Old City Cemetery, was authorized in 1798 by the North Carolina General Assembly as Raleigh's first burying ground. It was laid out on 4 acres (1.6 ha) of land just outside the original 1792 eastern boundary of Raleigh and bounded by East Street on the west, East Hargett Street on the south, and Morgan Street on the north. It was originally laid out in four equal quarters with the northern two quarters reserved for residents, the southwestern for visitors, and the southeastern for Negroes, both free and slaves. Over time, the cemetery has gradually been enlarged toward New Bern Street in 1819, 1849, and 1856 and now contains approximately 7.5 acres (3.0 ha). The cemetery was enclosed in 1898 by a cast-iron fence that was formerly around Union Square to keep straying livestock out of the State Capitol grounds. A network of cobblestone driveways with granite curbstones run through the cemetery. In 1857, the city boundaries were extended to include the cemetery, and the city charter provided for a resident caretaker. Many persons of Raleigh's and North Carolina's early period are interred at City Cemetery including governors, mayors, politicians, newspaper editors, military officers, ministers, doctors, planters, attorneys, bankers, and Scottish and English stonemasons who helped build the Capitol. City Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 12 September 2008.

Location

17 S. E. St.
Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina
35.78075, -78.63213

Categories

SOCIAL HISTORYART
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.

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The Land
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
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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
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Rivers & Rail
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Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Nearby Historic Sites

Free Church of the Good Shepherd
Civil War
0 mi
Oakwood Historic District (Boundary Increase II)
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0.1 mi
Marshall-Harris-Richardson House
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0.1 mi
Wyatt, Leonidas R., House
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0.1 mi
Heck-Lee, Heck-Wynne, and Heck-Pool Houses
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0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was City Cemetery listed on the National Register?

City Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 11, 2008.

What type of historic resource is City Cemetery?

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

What is the period of significance for City Cemetery?

The period of significance for City Cemetery is recorded as the colonial era, specifically around 1792.

Can I research the history near City Cemetery?

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