Havre de Grace is restoring a forgotten Black Civil War veterans cemetery

A small, overgrown cemetery near a busy Havre de Grace intersection holds the graves of Black Civil War soldiers — and the city has started clearing it.

What’s happening: Mayor William T. Martin told the city council Monday night that the city has begun clearing and restoring a family cemetery at the corner of Blenheim Road and Chapel Road. The site sits in a wooded area and contains graves of soldiers who served in the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War.

What we know: At least one grave has been identified. “This is Louis Hill who fought in the United States Color Troop Regiment 1864,” Martin said. “He saw action in Virginia. But we know there’s others.” Some markers are partially buried. Cadaver dogs will be brought in to find additional burial plots.

The effort: Harford Tree Service donated time and equipment, and heavy machinery was used to remove brush. The Alfred B. Hilton Foundation will survey the plots, identify who is buried there, and make grave markers. The foundation is named for Alfred B. Hilton, a Havre de Grace-area native and the only Congressional Medal of Honor recipient from Harford County. Hilton served in the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War.

The goal: “Ultimately, what we want to do is just make it nice and clean, put a nice little fence around it, put an American flag up and honor the men who fought the American Civil War,” Martin said.

What’s next: The clearing work is not finished. Heavy equipment cannot be used near the grave sites, so volunteers are needed for the final work. The city plans to organize a community cleanup day. “We’re going to need some human hands. So if anybody’s interested, stay tuned. City website or city social media outlets. We’re going to try to organize a day in which we get citizens up to help us just put the finishing touches on clearing out those steps,” Martin said. Residents who drive through the Blenheim Road and Chapel Road intersection can already see the progress.