Mount Moor African-American Cemetery, historic cemetery in Rockland County, New York, US
Mount Moor African-American Cemetery is a small historic burial ground in West Nyack, New York, covering roughly three acres of land. It holds graves of residents and military veterans, with most headstones dating from the 1800s and showing varying degrees of age and wear.
The cemetery was founded in 1849 when African Americans were excluded from many burial grounds, and was known as the Burying Ground for Colored People. Over time the land was expanded and served for more than a century as a resting place for the local Black community.
The cemetery reflects how racial segregation shaped burial practices and community life in the 1800s. Visitors walking through can see how this space served as a place where African American families could honor their dead with dignity despite facing exclusion elsewhere.
The cemetery is located in West Nyack near Dexter Road and Route 54A and is easy to find despite being surrounded by a shopping mall. It is a quiet spot with old trees, and daytime visits during clear weather are best for reading the headstones.
Many soldiers buried there served in the Buffalo Soldiers and fought in famous Black regiments of the Union Army. These veterans played a key role in the fight for freedom during the Civil War and beyond.
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