This story originally incorrectly stated that the Historic Salisbury Foundation purchased the Lincoln School. The article has been updated to reflect corrected information.

SALISBURY — Approximately a year-and-a-half ago, the Dixonville-Lincoln Memorial Task Force placed memorial monuments at the Dixonville Cemetery, immortalizing 530 people who had been buried there. However, the members of the task force believe there is still work to be done, with potentially hundreds more people remaining unidentified at the cemetery.

The project began in 2010, when a group of community members went before the Salisbury City Council and asked the city to clean up the cemetery, which task force member Emily Perry said was in disarray. The city, under the leadership of then-Mayor Susan Kluttz, agreed to take on the project and set up a committee to investigate and find people who were buried there.

When the task force began its research, there were only 18 identifiable graves at the cemetery, which is located in the 100 block of Old Concord Road. Through working with various churches, going to family reunions and looking through Noble & Kelsey Funeral Home’s records, approximately 530 people have been identified. Researchers also identified the grave of Mary Valentine from 1851, which is believed to be the first burial in the cemetery.

However, Perry said that the 530 number is not final, as there are possibly hundreds more people buried in Dixonville that remain unidentified. One possible example was Harry Cowan, who founded approximately 50 Black churches and is believed to be buried in an unmarked grave in Dixonville.

“What we need now is people to educate themselves and their family members. They may have family or know somebody with family that are listed. It’s crucial that people know their history,” said Perry.

Perry said that while working with the task force, she discovered an aunt that died as an infant, adding that there are people out there with similar family connections that may not yet realize it.

Anyone who believes that they may have a family connection can see the full list of identified burials at the cemetery, or, if they are unable to make the trip, they can contact the Edith M. Clark History Room at the Rowan Public Library Headquarters, said Perry.

“I cannot thank the city and this community (enough) for making this happen. There have been so many cuts and turns during this process and so many people that have meant so much that are no longer with us,” said Perry, who made sure to praise Betty Dan Spencer, who personally performed much of the research for the project. Spencer died in 2020.

The lost East End community

For years, the Dixonville Cemetery and adjacent Lincoln School were the center of the surrounding Dixonville and East End communities. Paths to and from the first school for Black children crossed the cemetery.

That was all demolished during the urban renewal process in Salisbury, which demolished the bridge on the property and piped over the creek. The community itself was also irreparably damaged, as homes, businesses and other community fixtures were removed to make way for newer construction.

The renewal process began in the late 1940s, and by 1970 nearly 400 Salisbury families had been displaced as a result of the projects.

Perry said that the community has compiled the “Dixonville Book,” which is available at the RPL headquarters and shows prominent houses and other buildings that were demolished during the urban renewal period.

The last person to be buried in the cemetery was George Maxwell in 1961.

The Lincoln School was closed down in 1970 as Salisbury schools were integrated by the Civil Rights Act. Students were moved to Allen Elementary School, which stood where the First National Bank stands today on the corner of North Long and East Innes streets.

Nowadays, the Lincoln School is owned by Mt. Calvary Holy Church of America, who is working with the Historic Salisbury Foundation to locate developers who are willing to renovate the building while maintaining its historic character.