Wheatland Baptist Cemetery
Also known as: Belcoda Cemetery
Why it's listed
Wheatland Baptist Cemetery, also called Belcoda Cemetery, occupies a flat 3.4-acre triangle at the Belcoda crossroads in southwestern Monroe County, New York. Joseph Blackmer donated the land in 1811, the year his infant daughter Sarah Ann became the first burial. A Baptist church across the road anchored the hamlet of Belcoda until it was abandoned in 1870 and demolished in 1883. The cemetery holds early settlers such as Rawson Harmon and the Rev. Solomon Brown, whose family plot has two obelisks and a cast-iron Italianate fence. Its African-American section is tied to freed people who came from Culpeper, Virginia, after the Civil War; those buried here include the Rev. Clayton Coles and Howard Coles. Markers range from simple slate and marble stones to later granite monuments. In the 1950s, architect Carl F. Schmidt designed the board fence and arched entrance gate. A boulder with a bronze tablet marks the church site.
Significance in brief: It is the earliest cemetery in the town of Wheatland and holds the graves of many first settlers. It is the last remnant of the vanished hamlet of Belcoda and its Baptist church, and it reflects the African-American community that formed after the Civil War. It also preserves a range of funerary art and a perimeter fence designed by regional architect Carl F. Schmidt.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 05001536, listed January 18, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | McGinnis, Belcoda and Harmon Rds., Belcoda |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | January 18, 2006 |
| Reference number | 05001536 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1811-1955 |
| Architect / builder | Carl F. Schmidt (designer of the perimeter fence and entrance gate, 1950s) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Black, Art |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a cemetery; stones date from 1811 to the present and are well preserved. |
| Acreage | 3.4 |
| Coordinates | 43.02587, -77.84673 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 05001536.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7991886
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.