Historical Highway Markers

West Point Cemetery

KV-25

This historically African American burial place, first known as Potter's Field, was established as Calvary Cemetery in 1873 and renamed West Point Cemetery in 1885. James E. Fuller, Norfolk’s first African American councilman, secured a section for the burial of black Union Civil War veterans in 1886. Nearly 60 soldiers and sailors were interred there. Fuller led efforts to mark the site with a monument, completed in 1920, that honors African Americans who served in the Civil War and the Spanish-American War. At its top is a statue of Sgt. William H. Carney, Norfolk native and the first black Medal of Honor recipient. West Point Cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Department of Historic Resources, 2017

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References/Bibliographic Citation:

West Point Cemetery National Register of Historic Places nomination (2007) http://www.norfolk.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/52 Cassandra Newby-Alexander, “Remembering Norfolk’s African American Cemeteries” Norfolk Society for Cemetery Conservation: http://www.norfolksocietyforcemeteryconservation.org/west-point-cemetery Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=2208490 Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, 27 Apr., 26 Aug. 2007. Katie Lange, “Meet Sgt. William Carney: The First African-American Medal of Honor Recipient,” DoD News, 7 Feb. 2017.