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

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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  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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