Warnersville in Greensboro in Guilford County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Union Cemetery
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 3, 2023
1. Union Cemetery Marker
African American cemetery
has been placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
1993
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1882.
Location. 36° 3.562′ N, 79° 47.469′ W. Marker is in Greensboro, North Carolina, in Guilford County. It is in Warnersville. It is on South Elm Street north of East Whittington Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 942 S Elm St, Greensboro NC 27406, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Piedmont and specifically in Piedmont Triad. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically,
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (approx. 0.4 miles away); Albion W. Tourgιe (approx. 0.4 miles away); Confederate Cabinet (approx. 0.6 miles away); North Carolina Railroad (approx. 0.6 miles away); Cigar Industry (approx. 0.6 miles away); Jefferson Davis (approx. 0.6 miles away); General Nathanael Greene (approx. 0.6 miles away); Magnolia House Motel (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Greensboro.
Other markers no longer nearby. Men of Greensboro and Guilford County (was approx. 0.6 miles away but has been permanently removed); The Army of Tennessee (was approx. 0.6 miles away but has been permanently removed); Confederate Arms Factory (was approx. 0.6 miles away but has been permanently removed).
Regarding Union Cemetery. Excerpts from the National Register nomination:
The historical significance of Union Cemetery,Greensboro, N.C.'s earliest known black cemetery, lies in its association with the city's first planned residential subdivision. This subdivision, known as Warnersville, was unique in that its lots were set aside expressly for purchase by newly freed slaves shortly after the Civil War. It was one of North Carolina's earliest planned subdivisions for freedmen. Many of Warnersville's prominent citizens, who were among the first black leaders in Greensboro, are buried at Union Cemetery.Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 3, 20232. Union Cemetery Marker
Union Cemetery for the Colored Race was established by the congregations of three churches in the early 1880's: the now St. Matthew's Methodist, St. James Presbyterian, and Providence Baptist Churches. In 1917, the City closed Union stating that further interments would be a potential health hazard to residents whose homes surrounded the cemetery. Its proximity to white South Greensboro, and the strained race relations of the mid-teens in the city may have also contributed to the commission's decision to close the cemetery.
The community of Warnersville was founded shortly after the Civil War in 1868 by Yardley Warner, a Quaker missionary and member of the Association of Friends of Philadelphia and Its Vicinity for the Relief of Colored Freedmen, an organization which assisted freedmen. Acting as agent for the association, Warner bought 35 and ½ acres of land just south of Greensboro, and sold half-acre lots on an ability-to-pay scale to former slaves. The purpose for the establishment of such a community was to promote the independence and self-sufficiency of former slaves. One reason for the selection of the Greensboro area for such an experiment may have been the substantial population of Quakers who were supportive of this goal.
Also see . . .
1. Union Cemetery (PDF). National Register nomination submitted for the cemetery. (Prepared by Kaye Graybeal, 1993; via National Archives) (Submitted on October 16, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. Warnersville. Greensboro Historic Preservation Commission website entry:
Warnersville was recognized as Greensboro's first Heritage Community in 2015. Includes links to Heritage Community application and images from Our Home, Our Neighborhood, Our Stories, the Greensboro History Museum's 2014-16 exhibit on Warnersville. (Submitted on October 16, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 19, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 6, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 503 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 6, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
