Evergreen and Woodland Cemeteries Records, 1893-2016

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Evergreen and Woodland Cemeteries Records, 1893-2016. Accession 52003. Cemetery Record Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA.

Summary

Extent:
14.5 cubic feet (49 boxes)
Creator:
Evergreen and Woodland Cemeteries
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Evergreen and Woodland Cemeteries Records, 1893-2016. Accession 52003. Cemetery Record Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA.

Background

Scope and content:

Records, 1893-2016, of the Evergreen and Woodland Cemeteries include interment cards records, financial records, and general files. Interment records are in the form of ledgers and index cards. Financial records relate to both Evergreen and Woodland Cemeteries and include general account ledgers, ledgers of funeral home accounts, annual care ledgers, employee records, contracts, and lot and stock certificates. The general files include applications for memorial foundations at both cemeteries, burial permits, and correspondence. Over time, the interment and financial records of Evergreen and Woodland have become intermingled. Collection also contains maps of Evergreen and Woodland Cemeteries and segments of a map, possibly of Oakwood Cemetery.

Biographical / historical:

Evergreen Cemetery is a historic African-American cemetery located in the East End neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia. Founded in 1891 as an African-American equivalent to Hollywood Cemetery, many notable African Americans are interred at Evergreen, including Maggie L. Walker, John Mitchell, Jr., and A.D. Price. Located in Henrico County, Woodland Cemetery was established in 1917 by the Woodland Cemetery Corporation, led by president John Mitchell, Jr. The site of interment of Arthur Ashe, Woodland Cemetery is the home to many of Richmond's wealthy and noteworthy African-American residents. Both cemeteries were created before the establishment of a 1919 Richmond city ordinance that required cemeteries to have perpetual care funds in order to finance upkeep. As a result, both cemeteries fell into states of disrepair. Maintained for decades by their respective cemetery associations, Evergreen Cemetery was sold to Metropolitan Memorial Services, Incorporated in 1970. Metropolitan Memorial Services maintained control of Evergreen Cemetery until their bankruptcy in 1973. Following the bankruptcy, many former officers of the Metropolitan Memorial Services founded the U.K. Corporation, which purchased Evergreen and Woodland Cemeteries sometime in the 1970's. The Enrichmond Foundation acquired Evergreen Cemetery in May 2017; Woodland Cemetery is currently unowned.

Acquisition information:
Donated by Enrichmond Foundation.