GRAVE Assumptions: Historical Narrative of Cemeteries Through Characters

/ PIN2022 / By

Nigel Rudolph, University of Florida, Master of Historic Preservation

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My semester project for PIN 2022 builds off previous PIN case studies done on the Cemeteries of Nantucket in 1974 and 1985. Though limited in scope, both cases provided necessary documentation of these sacred spaces. The relevant case study, by 1974 PIN alum Robby Cangelosi from the University of Florida, was an overview of all the cemeteries in Nantucket and provided a basic summary of their history and notable figures interred. With this research as a foundation, my project narrows the scope to a single site, the African American cemetery, also known as “The Historic Coloured Cemetery” on Mill Hill. It is located near the historic “5-corners”, the center of early African American life on the island. Following the lead of Cangelosi’s previous work, I highlight the history of this cemetery by illustrating the lives of a few notable individuals buried there. However, unlike the previous assessments, I juxtapose the Nantucket African American narrative with that of African Americans in the small town of Archer, a historic railroad town 30 minutes west of Gainesville, FL. My goal is to help the listener understand the assumptions I made and recognize how these histories vary, yet ultimately share too many woeful qualities.

Was your inspiration a PIN report or other? What is the missing information? Why does this need to be addressed?
The 1974 PIN report was lacking in any information regarding the impact of the noted African Americans on Nantucket and how their final resting places in the cemetery, in many cases, is all that is left of their story. These stories can reflect the other side of the preservation coin, understanding and interpreting intangible heritage.

Why is your work important?
My work is valuable as it gets to the heart of one of the most important yet missing pieces of Nantucket’s cemeteries – public interpretation. I have attempted to humanize a few of the names carved in stone. I have attempted to express how not only were these individuals significant and their lives mattered, but the lives of their descendants also matter and contribute to the narrative of the island’s history.

What was your methodology? What resources did you use?
My methodology was largely documentary evidence research based. Archival and historic documentation by contemporary authors provided the bulk of my research for the Nantucket related portions of the project. Referencing the Bethlehem Methodist Episcopal Cemetery (BMEC), my research was again archival but also recollective of my own experience working with the cemetery and the community in which it lies. 

What are your findings, proposal, or recommendations?
My findings were that indeed there was distinct differences between African American life and death between Nantucket and Archer, however, there are many shared undercurrents. I have proposed that Nantucket re-invest in the public interpretation of the site to help provide a better cultural understanding of the value of the cemetery. This needs to be done with the blessing and guidance of the descendant population. 

What are next steps or further research to be done?
The next steps are to directly contact the descendants of those that are buried in the “Historic Coloured Cemetery” and get their opinions on how they would like to see the cemetery be interpreted publicly. 

Citation List

Contact List

  • Barbara White, Nantucket Historian
  • Nantucket Cemetery Commission
  • Charlie Polachi, Parks and Recreation and Public Works Manager, Town of Nantucket

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