I had an eerie experience this evening.
A few months ago I saw the News and Tribune retweet a few photos from the Freedomland Cemetery. I’ve wanted to find it ever since.
Several hundred yards off Paoli Pike, at the base of a wooded valley, there are hundreds of grave markers. From the 1850s to the early 20th century, Freedomland served as the main burial ground for African Americans in New Albany. “Conservative estimates put the total number of burials around 300. The last internment is believed to have taken place in 1917.”
Buried across several acres, there are former slaves, Civil War veterans, men and women of all ages, and children. Freedomland is one of the oldest “black cemeteries” in Indiana. “Black people would not have been allowed to be buried in white cemeteries at the time, so the segregated burial ground was formed in the northwest edge of New Albany.” (You can read more about the cemetery here and here).
I spent about an hour exploring, just me and my camera, and I still didn’t cover it all. It was a sobering, eerie experience. I love reminders that you don’t have to travel far to see amazing things. There are hidden treasures all around us.
