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After much research and archaeology, Patrick Henry’s Red Hill will hold a dedication of the Quarter Place Cemetery in remembrance of the enslaved population of Red Hill and their descendants.

The event will take place Saturday, June 5, beginning at 11 a.m.

‘We are excited about the opportunity to share the Quarter Place Cemetery with the public,” Chief Executive Officer of Red Hill Hope Marstin said. “We would love to collect oral histories of anyone who had ancestors here or knowledge of anyone who did. Without understanding what life was like for those who lived on the Quarter Place, visitors cannot get a complete understanding of Red Hill.”

According to Marstin there are 147 graves in the cemetery, of which 40 of those burials have been identified.

Marstin said it is uncertain as to how old the cemetery is, but it is possible that the cemetery was used as early as the 1770s to 1937.

“The latest burial we have identified was in 1937,” Marstin said, “However, we know that Red Hill was a working plantation from the 1770s (before Patrick Henry’s ownership) until 1865 when the Civil War ended, and enslaved people were emancipated. From 1865-1945 there were still free blacks living on the property as sharecroppers.”

The event is open to the public, and attendees are asked to reserve a ticket on the Redhill.org website.

Following the ceremony, lunch will be served on the grounds. After lunch, there will be a time of celebration under the tent in front of our Osage Orange Tree, followed by tours and interpretations.