HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Community members are encouraged to volunteer with the Museums of Hopkinsville-Christian County to help restore and clean tombstones at Vine Street Cemetery, which was established after the Civil War by a black benevolent society. One Tuesday a month during the summer, the group will meet at 6 p.m. to learn more about Hopkinsville’s history while making the community a brighter place.
On May 20, they will hold the first Tombstone Tuesday of the year at Vine Street Cemetery, which is also known as Union Benevolent Society Cemetery. The museum will provide all of the supplies necessary for the cleanup efforts and will brief volunteers on respectful cemetery etiquette. People will also be taught on how to document and clean historic tombstones safely.
According to a news release from the museum, this cemetery was established in 1866 by the Union Benevolent Society, an organization of newly freed African Americans just after the conclusion of the Civil War. The group was one of several black benevolent societies locally and nationally. It served the purpose of financially caring for widows and orphans and for providing a burial place for its members.
Commonly referred to as Vine Street Cemetery, this site is the final resting place of hundreds of local people including dozens of African American veterans of the Civil War. The cemetery ceased to be used as an active burial ground in the mid-20th century and is now owned and maintained by the City of Hopkinsville.
Additional Tombstone Tuesdays will be held on June 24 and July 29. The cemetery is located on Vine Street just past Wood Street and Bradshaw Street. For more information, follow the Museums of Hopkinsville on Facebook, or contact the Museums at 270-887-4270.
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