Greenlawn Cemetery July 18

 Conversations in Indiana African American 

History and Culture

JULY 18, 2024

6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. EDT (Doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
Indiana Landmarks Center, 1201 Central Ave., Indianapolis and Online

Greenlawn Cemetery: The first “Bury Ground” of Indianapolis

Leon Bates, local historian, discusses the history of Greenlawn Cemetery, Indianapolis’s first cemetery. Greenlawn was created as a public “Bury Ground” in 1821 by an act of the Indiana Legislature. Indianapolis has never had a black cemetery, although there are many around the state; the Indianapolis Bury Ground had a segregated “Colored Section.” Between 1821 and 1863, the cemetery grew to include three adjacent cemeteries totaling 25 acres. Greenlawn began to fall from favor with the rise of the rural cemetery movement of the late 1850s and 1860s; this led to the creation of the 555-acre Crown Hill Cemetery approximately four miles to the north. In 1890, the city declared the Bury Ground full and closed to burials, and by 1902, the other three sections were being condemned as well. Several redevelopments followed, including a park, baseball stadium, slaughterhouse, the Traction Terminal Realty Company, and the Diamond Chain Manufacturing Company.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at Indiana Landmarks Center and talk begins at 6 p.m. in person and online. Free with RSVP. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/conversations-in-indiana-african-american-history-culture-7182024-tickets-928548081307