Murfreesboro in Rutherford County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Benevolent Cemetery

Photographed By Sandra Marsteller, November 17, 2021

1. Benevolent Cemetery Marker

Inscription. In 1897, Lodge #11 of the Colored Benevolent Society established this cemetery to serve Murfreesboro's African Americans in the era of Jim Crow segregation. Members included Berry Seward, the city's first black electrician, and Drs. George C. Harden and John McClellan, both graduates of Meharry Medical College. The cemetery's approximate 800 burials include workers, professionals, trades people, and veterans from the Indian Wars, Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World Wars I and II. In 1988 Mrs. Mary Finch sold the cemetery to Allen Chapel AME Church trustees to ensure its preservation.

Erected 2021 by Tennessee Historical Commission. (Marker Number 3A 250.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Churches & Religion • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations. In addition, it is included in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the Tennessee Historical Commission series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1897.

Location. 35° 49.879′ N, 86° 23.856′ W. Marker is in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in Rutherford County. Marker is on Park Avenue, 0.2 miles north

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of Middle Tennessee Boulevard, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1160 Park Ave, Murfreesboro TN 37129, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Murfree Spring (approx. ¾ mile away); Into the Modern Era (approx. ¾ mile away); A More Healthy Community (approx. ¾ mile away); A Progressive City (approx. ¾ mile away); Building a Victorian City (approx. ¾ mile away); The Occupied Town in War and Reconstruction (approx. ¾ mile away); a different marker also named The Occupied Town in War and Reconstruction (approx. ¾ mile away); Antebellum Prosperity and Institutional Growth (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Murfreesboro.

Also see . . .
1. Benevolent Cemetery Re-dedication. Photographs from the Memorial Day 2018 re-dedication ceremony and history of the cemetery, from the Rutherford County Historical Society. (Submitted on November 17, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. Benevolent Cemetery. Find a Grave listing of burials in the cemetery. (Submitted on November 17, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, October 15, 2022

2. Benevolent Cemetery Marker

Photographed By Sandra Marsteller, November 17, 2021

3. Benevolent Cemetery Marker

Looking north on Park Avenue.

Benevolent Cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Sandra Marsteller, November 17, 2021

4. Benevolent Cemetery

Henry Williams Headstone image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, October 15, 2022

5. Henry Williams Headstone

Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, October 15, 2022

6. Benevolent Cemetery Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on April 19, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 17, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 471 times since then and 137 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 17, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on January 27, 2023, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. 3, 4. submitted on November 17, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 5, 6. submitted on January 27, 2023, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia.