At Cheltenham Veterans Burial, in South County, Prince George’s County, are polished gravesites of military veterans. These gravesites are symmetrically organized, existing among a manicured lawn. A line of tall trees, decorated with fall leaves, serves as a backdrop to the burial site.
Beyond those trees, exist two locations with grave sites of Black boys formerly held at a facility that incarcerated Black boys around 1870. Unlike the veterans’ graves that exist among the manicured lawn, these Black boys rest in marked and unmarked graves overtaken by thorns, dried leaves, vines, and fallen trees.
The boys once attended a facility called The House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children. The institution was built approximately six years after Maryland declared slavery illegal. According to the historical documents, the building was established to house “colored” children who were punished for alleged crimes. While there the Black boys were taught a trade. Marc Schindler, former assistant secretary and chief of staff of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, said that it is possible that these children were leased out to local businesses, a system that was perhaps akin to slavery.
Prior to the building of this facility, and others, youth were incarcerated with adults.
On Sept. 23, more than 10 members of Maryland’s Black Caucus toured the site. For some – like chair of the Maryland Black Caucus Jheane Wilkins – it was their first time. Members paid a visit to the site to pay homage to the Black boys that are buried there. Furthermore, the caucus also wanted to share their plans with the press on how they hope to properly preserve this space, and continued care for the burial space. Schindler said it appears that some of the boys buried at the location are from Baltimore.
It is also not clear about how the boys died. Some of the ages of the boys buried there, The Intersection viewed, are as young as 13-years-old. At least one of the headstones was detached from its grave – positioned up against a tree. Some of the headstones were slightly submerged underground, and some graves were marked with a brick, or a cement block. In those cases, at least for now, we researchers can’t identify the children’s names, date of birth, birth locations, nor their ages.
Below is a photo essay of the tour.
On Sept. 23, members of the Maryland Black Caucus visited Cheltenham Veterans Cemetery, where Black boys are buried in marked and unmarked graves. The gravesite is of boys who were incarcerated at the The House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children. Photojournalists and reporters follow the members of the Black Caucus as they walk to the first site. Photo by Delonte Harrod
Marc Schindler, assistant secretary & chief of staff of Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, talks to reporters and members of the Black caucus about the history of the cemetery. Photo by Delonte Harrod
Schindler leads the crowd into the woods, where the first section of the unmarked graves are found. Photo by Delonte Harrod
From Left to Right: William Ford, Maryland Matters reporter, Megan Sayles, a reporter for the Afro News, Del. Jamila Woods (District 26), Jheanelle Wilkins, chair of the Maryland Black Caucus, Del. Jeffrie Long, Jr., and Sen. Michael Jackson, and an unnamed delegate or senator, look an unmarked grave of a Black boy. Photo by Delonte Harrod
Del. Jeffrie Long led members of the Maryland Black Caucus in a prayer. Photo by Delonte Harrod
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Williams – an independent genealogical researcher, reparations advocate, and member of the Prince George’s County Memorial Lynching Project – is there because he has the mournful responsibility of recalling the history of John Henry Scott, a Black man who was lynched in 1875. Researchers have confirmed that the catastrophic event occurred Oxon Hill, Maryland.
The Prince George’s County Memorial Project is hosting this event. It’s a memorial service for Scott. “ In our culture, we really value honoring the dead and how we bury them,” said Williams. “When you think about a holiday like Memorial Day that was created by African Americans to memorialize a lot of the soldiers who did not get a proper burial.”
The service was held at Harmony Hall Arts Center at 10701 Livingston Rd Fort Washington, Maryland. It’s the organization's second memorial service for Black men that were lynched in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Its first was for Thomas Jurricks.