In partnership with the Nashville City Cemetery, the Friends of the William Edmonson Homesite Park and Gardens are hosting an event to paint field stones to honor the enslaved people who are buried in the city cemetery.
In 2026 the Nashville City Cemetery Association (NCCA) launched the Nashville City Cemetery Enslaved Memorial Project to honor the memory of approximately three thousand enslaved men, women, and children who were buried in the Nashville City Cemetery between its founding on January 1, 1822, and the arrival of emancipation in Tennessee in 1865.
The memorial site will feature an engraved granite bench, interpretive engraved stone markers, and a memorial garden. At the heart of the project is the creation of approximately 1,800 small field stones, each individually decorated with the name of an enslaved person buried in the cemetery. Because interment records from 1822 to 1846 are missing, only those who were buried between 1846 and 1865 can be identified by name. It is the NCCA’s hope to honor each of these individuals from the historic record with a dedicated fieldstone, ensuring their legacy endures.
Context will be provided about the lives and stories of those being remembered, fostering education, empathy, and reflection. By joining this effort, you will help create a space of dignity and remembrance for those who endured enslavement, ensuring their lives and contributions are never forgotten.
