The Mount Moor Cemetery will have soon sport a fresh look following a large
investment from the town and Friends of Mount Moor Cemetery.
The cemetery is tucked in the heart of the Palisades Mall.
Created in 1849, the
location served as a burial ground for Black people – a symbol of segregation African Americans faced even in death.
Nearly 30 veterans that served in the Civil War, both World Wars and the Korean
War are resting there.
Veteran Solomon Miller
who fought four battles in the Civil War including Appomattox, is one of them.
“They lived under the enormous indignity of
racism and still rose to the challenge of fighting a war,” says Friend of Mount
Moor Bill Batson.
However, many mall-goers aren’t aware of its existence, so the town hopes the
restoration will increase attraction.
"The Palisades
Mall has 23 million visitors a year and probably hardly any of them know about
the history and the folks buried there,” says Clarkstown Supervisor George
Hoehmann.
The group and town are now replacing and restoring headstones, with 10 new
headstones already built for our heroes.
"There's just so much to do here and so many stories,” says Batson.