Mount Carmel Cemetery (Memphis)
Mount Carmel Cemetery is a historic public rural cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee. It was established in 1847 and covers about 10 acres. The cemetery holds roughly 3,400 documented graves.
When it was built, Memphis grew quickly, with the population nearly quadrupling from 1840 to 1850 thanks to the cotton trade along the Mississippi River. The burial ground was designed in a park-like style with rolling lawns and many trees.
Most burials are African American, including people born into slavery, enslaved people, and their descendants, as well as Reconstruction-era residents. The cemetery also contains African Americans who lived in Memphis in roles such as boatmen, carpenters, servants, artisans, construction workers, and professionals. In recent decades, the site has been neglected, but restoration and preservation work is under way.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 13:08 (CET).