African American Memorial

Honoring Forgotten Lives

During three years of archival research, middle-school students in Hartford and their teacher uncovered evidence that over 300 Americans of African descent were interred in this cemetery, one of the oldest in Connecticut. The students’ research shed light on the fact that African Americans helped settle the Connecticut Colony. Among the students’ findings were the discoveries that the first enslaved person in the country to sue for freedom and five of the Black Governors were buried here in unmarked graves.

A Lasting Tribute

To commemorate these forgotten souls, this large slate monument was set in the ground and inscribed with documented names and interment dates. The memorial was dedicated in 1998 with the assistance of the Ancient Burying Ground Association and the Connecticut Historical Commission, now the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism.

This site is open to the public.