Oberlin Cemetery

Oberlin Cemetery is one of only four known public African American cemeteries in Raleigh that date back to the 1800's. It served the families of the historic Oberlin Village, considered the largest freedman's village in Wake County during the Reconstruction Era. Officially established in 1873 the cemetery is believed to date back to earlier. According to oral tradition, the cemetery started as a slave graveyard on the Cameron plantation. It is believed that at least 600 graves occupy the cemetery; however, only approximately 200 scattered headstones currently exist. Most graves are not marked. In 1924, Pine View Cemetery was added as an annex to the original Oberlin Cemetery. This annex contained an additional 135 family plots and is still in use. In 1971 the original section of the cemetery was full and its documented use ended. Oberlin Cemetery is a Raleigh Historic Landmark and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.