Father Dickson Cemetery

Father Dickson Cemetery is a historic African-American cemetery located on 845 South Sappington Road in Crestwood, St. Louis County, Missouri.

Father Dickson Cemetery
LocationCrestwood, St. Louis County, Missouri, U.S.
Coordinates38.5658°N 90.3858°W / 38.5658; -90.3858
Area12 acres
BuiltAugust 30, 1903
NRHP reference No.14001125
Added to NRHPOctober 6, 2021

It has been listed as one of the National Register of Historic Places since October 6, 2021.[1][2]

History

The cemetery is named after abolitionist Moses Dickson, who is buried at this cemetery.[3] It sits on more than 12 acres and roughly 12,000 people are buried there.[1] Many of the burials include black military veterans, leaders within the Underground Railroad network, formerly enslaved people, and lynching victims.[1]

In 1988, the Friends of Father Dickson Cemetery group was started in hopes of maintaining the aging cemetery and preserving history.[4] Other nearby historic African American cemeteries include Washington Park Cemetery (1920), Quinette Cemetery (1866), and Greenwood Cemetery (1874).[4]

Notable burials
  • Moses Dickson (1824–1901), his body was moved here in 1903 with the dedication of the cemetery.[4][3]
  • Henry Q. "Steamboat" Lewis (1886–1965)
  • Pinetop Sparks (1910–1935), he was buried in an unmarked grave, a headstone was added in 2014.
  • James Milton Turner (1840–1915)[3]

See also

References
  1. "How volunteers brought a historic Black St. Louis cemetery back from the brink". STLPR. NPR. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  2. "Father Dickson Cemetery added to National Register of Historic Places". Fox 2. 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  3. "Concerns rise over maintenance of historic Black cemetery in south St. Louis County". ksdk.com. KSDK-TV. December 1, 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  4. Holleman, Joe. "'Still a struggle': Against odds, Father Dickson Cemetery preserves Black history". STLtoday.com. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
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