Newburgh Colored Burial Ground
Also known as: Colored Burying Ground; Colored Cemetery; Western Avenue Yard; Western Avenue Cemetery
Why it's listed
Beneath the lawns, walkways and parking area of the Newburgh City Courthouse lies a 19th-century burial ground used by the city's African-American community. Documents call it the Colored Burial Ground or the Western Avenue Yard, and it appears to have been active from about 1832 to about 1867. Its precise origins and ownership remain unclear. Remains were disturbed repeatedly, during the construction of Robinson Avenue in 1873, during clearing of an oilcloth factory around 1905, and during building of the Broadway School in 1908-09. Archaeological work in 2008 identified at least 110 sets of remains, many in orderly east-west rows, and some lie under the courthouse foundations. No gravestones or landscape features survive. The site is considered important for what continuing study of the graves, coffin hardware, clothing and jewelry may reveal about health, diet, social status, burial customs and migration, and about how the community's dead were later treated.
Significance in brief: The site is locally significant under Criterion D for its potential to yield information about Newburgh's 19th-century African-American population, and possibly others buried there. Study of the remains and artifacts may reveal health, diet, social status, burial practices and migration patterns. It may also show how the cemetery was treated, disturbed and built over by later development.
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 10000137, listed March 31, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Broadway & Robinson Ave. (NY Rte. 9W), City of Newburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | March 31, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000137 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | c. 1832-c. 1867 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The burial ground has no above-ground markers. Over 100 graves were found west and northwest of the courthouse, and the site is used as courthouse grounds and parking. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.50321, -74.02069 (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 10000137.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14707090
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.