Woodlawn
MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE
Thanks to the work of all of our volunteers you can now see Woodlawn Cemetery from the street at 7800 S. Huron River Drive, Ypsilanti.
In 1946, Pastor Garther Roberson Senior purchased a plot of land in Ypsilanti to provide a resting place for Black community members when there were few options due to discrimination and racism. Woodlawn Cemetery, the only documented Black cemetery in the County, has since fallen into disrepair. Initial research indicates that Woodlawn Cemetery has served as the final resting place for over 150 African Americans whose lives were central to the development and history of Ypsilanti and broader Washtenaw County. This Restoration Project includes the necessary steps to preserve and protect the historic cemetery for future generations while maintaining its historical integrity.
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2024 Volunteer Clean Up Days
The first phase of the Woodlawn Cemetery Restoration Project involves locating and identifying headstones to determine the individuals interred at the cemetery. The majority of those headstones are in an area that is overgrown by brush and trees, and have sunken or shifted. To do that, we must clear nearly one acre of land.
Volunteer days are every 2nd and 4th Saturday in July 12 & 26 and August 3 & 23,
The September schedule will vary because of Michigan Football Home games: September 6, 20th.
Do you have a relative buried at Woodlawn Cemetery? If so, please contact the Project Coordinators at historicpreservation@washtenaw.org to assist with adding them to the list.
Media Coverage:
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Click on Detroit Historic Black cemetery abandoned for 60 years in Washtenaw County to be restored.
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MLive: A historic Black cemetery was abandoned 60 years ago. Now, it could be restored. May 2025
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Michigan Bridge Article June 2025 Abandoned Michigan cemetery unearths history of segregation — even in death.
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CBS News Volunteers clear overgrowth at historically Black cemetery in Ypsilanti to celebrate Juneteenth June 19, 2025
More information and Volunteer Link
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Read the Restoration Plan
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Learn more about the cemetery's history
This project is made possible through the collaborative efforts of multiple organizations and people: the co-leadership of Dr. Debby Covington (Historic District Commissioner and AACHM Chair), and Kat Slocum, archeologist, the Washtenaw County Historic District Commission, the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County, and Ypsilanti Township, the African American Genealogical Society of Washtenaw County, the Roberson Family, and descendants of family members for whom Woodlawn Cemetery was their final resting place, and the Washtenaw County Racial Equity Office to restore the site.