Father Dickson Cemetery
Cemetery in Crestwood, St. Louis County, Missouri
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Father Dickson Cemetery is a historic African-American cemetery located on 845 South Sappington Road in Crestwood, St. Louis County, Missouri.
Father Dickson Cemetery | |
| |
| Location | Crestwood, St. Louis County, Missouri, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38.5658°N 90.3858°W |
| Area | 12 acres |
| Built | August 30, 1903 |
| NRHP reference No. | 14001125 |
| Added to NRHP | October 6, 2021 |
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, although a headstone was added in 2014[5][6][7]
- James Milton Turner (1840–1915)[3]
