Anna Smith, Member of the African American Memorial Cemetery Restoration Committee
On Sunday, July 13, 2025, community members joined together in downtown Lewistown in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, to rededicate the area’s historic African American cemetery, the Lewistown African American Memorial Cemetery.
The ceremony marked the culmination of a multi-year effort by a coalition of community partners who were committed to bringing new life to the cemetery after years of neglect. The effort was spearheaded by Jenny Landis of the Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau, Rhonda Kelley of the Juniata River Valley Chamber of Commerce, members of the Mifflin County Historical Society, and a committee of dedicated community volunteers.
Over the last four years, the volunteer committee has taken bold steps to restore, beautify, and interpret the community’s African American cemetery that dates back to at least 1830, and that includes the graves of at least five veterans of the United States Colored Troops.
The multiyear restoration effort included bringing cemetery conservator John Appell of Atlas Preservation to repair damaged tombstones and to lead a public workshop on how to properly clean historic grave markers. The cemetery grounds were carefully landscaped to create better access to the cemetery, and also to beautify the grounds with the planting of flowers. The effort also removed several dead and overgrown trees.
Students at the Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology’s welding and fabrication department created a magnificent new archway for the cemetery. Juniata Concrete donated the materials to mount the archway, and Criter-Mitchell Construction provided the labor to erect the sign at the entranceway to the cemetery.
Two new interpretative wayside markers provided historical information. One sign focused on the history of the cemetery. The second told the story of several members of the United States Colored Troops laid to rest at the cemetery using historical research undertaken by Shippensburg University public history students.
Steven Burg, Secretary of Pennsylvania Hallowed Grounds, offering remarks and information about the history of the Lewistown African American Memorial Cemetery.
Steven Burg, Professor of History at Shippensburg University and Secretary of Pennsylvania Hallowed Grounds, was invited as the event’s featured speaker. He encouraged the crowd to appreciate the unique and important historical site in their midst. He also encouraged those in attendance to reflect on the lives of all the individuals in the cemetery—both in marked and unmarked graves—who worked, lived, and contributed to the Lewistown community.
Burg also commended the community for the careful, thoughtful work that went into preserving the cemetery, and the large number of individuals and organizations that contributed time, labor, and money to the effort. He wanted to make sure the community fully appreciated how special it was that they were preserving a piece of history, honoring the community’s African American Civil War veterans, and celebrating the legacy of Lewistown as a historical center in the fight against slavery and for African American civil rights.
Pennsylvania Hallowed Grounds was grateful to support this effort, and we congratulate the Lewistown community for its work and leadership in the movement to preserve this important African American cemetery. Congratulations to everyone in the Lewistown area who contributed to this project. Pennsylvania Hallowed Grounds looks forward to working with you now and in the future to ensure the preservation of this important historic site.