These are some photos I took at Old City Cemetery in Lynchburg, Virginia, during a trip that Joan and I made in January 2010. Pictured above is the arch that marks the entrance to the Confederate section, which contains the graves of more than 2,220 soldiers. Some more photos from that section:
These two photos are from one of the entrances to the cemetery, which was built in 1806 and was the city's primary burial site for African Americans from 1806 to 1865. From this spot, the road and cemetery slope downward toward Blackwater Creek.
A modern sign in front of the grave for Agnes and Lizzie Langley (pictured below) states: "According to Court and City Directory records, mother and daughter, Agnes (1789-1874) and Lizzie (1833-1891) Langley ran a 'Sporting House' on Commerce Street during the 19th century. Later, Lynchburg's 'Red Light District' of World War II fame was located only a few blocks away along Jackson, Monroe and Fourth Streets. Both races were employed and serviced equally. It is not known whether this impressive family plot was a result of the ladies' earnings or of the admiration of those of great wealth."
The grave pictured below is labeled "Brick Tomb" and its plaque states: "This unique gravemarker is one of only two barrel-vaulted brick tombs in the Cemetery. The vault is filled with dirt, and the true grave is several feet below ground level. The identity of the person buried here is unknown. Based on the tomb's size and location, it marks the grave of an adult white person who died sometime after 1860. According to family oral history, the tomb was built around 1900 by James Edward Franklin, Sr. (1869-1951), a lifelong brick mason in Lynchburg."
Here are two final winter's day photos from the cemetery, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
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