Hempstead Town Board Preserves African-American History with Landmark

Seeking to preserve an important piece of Hempstead Town's heritage, Supervisor Kate Murray and the Town Board recently designated the Harold Avenue Cemetery in Wantagh as a landmark to protect a centuries-old African American burial ground.

"The Harold Avenue Cemetery is an integral part of Wantagh's history," Murray said.  "By designating the cemetery as a historical landmark, we are ensuring that future generations of Hempstead Town residents will be able to honor the memories of the men and women who came before us and shaped the future of our township."

In an effort to memorialize the final resting place of their ancestors, the Jackson family, a sixth and eighth generation family living in Nassau County for over 100 years, requested that the Town's Landmarks Preservation Committee preserve the Harold Avenue Cemetery as a landmark burial ground.

The cemetery's roots can be traced to the early 1800s, when Thomas Jackson, a white Revolutionary War Veteran, sold 20 acres of land to freed African American Jeffrey Jackson in 1808. The land, located on Old Mill Road between Lawrence Place and Harold Avenue, was used as a family homestead and a burial ground for descendants of the Jackson family. The burial grounds preserve the memories of many Native American and African American farmers, contractors, carpenters, oystermen and proud Civil War veterans who helped to shape the fabric of the Wantagh community during the 1800s and 1900s.

"Harold Avenue Cemetery is the final resting place for early residents of the Wantagh area who helped to build our nation and make our community great,"  Murray said. "By designating the Harold Avenue Cemetery as a landmark, we are preserving our local history and ensuring that the stories of Wantagh's earlier generations are not forgotten."