Cedar Grove Cemetery was established in 1825 as Norfolk's first public burial ground. The ordinance that provided for the establishment of Cedar Grove also called for the closure of St. Paul's Church Yard due to overcrowding and subsequent community health issues. Cedar Grove adjoins a site which had been used for the burial of citizen soldiers from other parts of Virginia during the War of 1812. Though it encompasses only 14 acres of land, Cedar Grove is a valuable cultural landscape the survival of which is imperative to the historic and cultural record. Along with many of Norfolk's founding fathers, there are hundreds of Civil War soldiers and sailors interred at Cedar Grove. It is also the site of mass burials of Norfolk citizens who were victims of the 1855 yellow fever epidemic.
As a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, NSCC welcomes your support through contributions! All funding goes directly to ongoing conservation projects within Norfolk's historic municipal cemeteries. Click on the Donate button below to make a tax deductible contribution to the NSCC.
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A recent Cedar Grove Cemetery cultural resource management report revealed many monuments in need of raising, repair, and leveling. Still others remain buried just beneath the landscape waiting to be revealed and restored. A cultural resource management plan is in place and conservation work is currently underway. If you would like to volunteer to assist with the Cedar Grove historic conservation project, please click here.
Norfolk Society for Cemetery Conservation
P.O. Box 11446
Norfolk, Virginia 23517
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