Richland Cemetery

Front inscription

Richland Cemetery was established in 1884 by the City of Greenville as a public burial ground for African Americans. It is one of S.C.’s oldest municipal graveyards for African Americans and was the first in Greenville. It was named for Richland Creek, a Reedy River tributary that runs to the west. Black residents were previously buried in a segregated lot adjoining Springwood Cemetery. Richland was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

Reverse inscription

Richland is roughly 6 acres in size and likely contains more than 2,800 graves, most of them unmarked. Markers are generally modest in scale and ornamentation, reflecting family members’ economic backgrounds. Some grave decorations show the influence of West African burial customs. Richland is the final resting place for many of Greenville’s most influential African American leaders. Burials mostly pre-date World War II and have become less frequent over time.