Cemeteries Information System
"The wholeness of a people are diminished, if the ancestors are not honored" (African Proverb)
The Cemeteries Information System provides access to biographical, death, and burial information for thousands of persons interred in the historic burial grounds, curated from these sources:
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Mount Zion United Methodist Church death and burial records, and member questionnaires
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Georgetown / Washington DC funeral home and casket maker records
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DC Health Department of Health and Death Records
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Cemetery gravestones and memorials Inscriptions
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Graves Identified in historical surveys of the burying grounds
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District of Columbia Free Negro Registers 1821 - 1861
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District of Columbia Emancipation Compensation Petitions
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Historic newspaper's death and funeral notices
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Military service records
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Freedman’s Bank account activity records
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Public records of census, births, deaths, and marriages
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Public records of Last Will and Testament
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Education institutions' registration and graduation roles
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Input from educators, professional researchers, and descendants
In addition to biographical information, the CIS contains images of individuals and original documents - including marriage, education, occupation/business, manumission, emancipation, military service, funeral home records, death notices, more than 590 gravestone images, and photometry images of gravestones.
The CIS enables the public to gain insight into the lives of individuals; life experiences such as enslavement, military service, and occupations; community activities and worship, education; and causes of death. The CIS, by virtue of offering access to the life stories of thousands of people, provides the public with a more accurate and complete understanding of Georgetown’s history.
While the CIS is not intended (or technically or economically able) to mimic the robust ancestry research and information recording capabilities of popular family genealogy subscription services, the public is encouraged to contribute biographical, community and Black history information related to our interred, their ancestors, and descendants. Members of the public can submit information to the Foundation using the CIS "Tips" feature.