DescriptionThis marker designates the location of a burial ground for African American residents of Bedminster, both free men and slaves. Research by members of the Somerset County Historical Society uncovered a deed for 1/10 of an acre on Hillside Ave. Bedminster issued in 1801 to Robert Aaron, a free black man who worked as a local bee keeper. He purchased this plot of land with two slaves for the purpose of providing a dedicated burial ground for both free and slave African American residents. Eight burials are recorded on this property between 1840 and 1850 and it is thought as many as 50 others are buried here in unmarked graves. This marker was unveiled in a ceremony on June 20, 2016. The property had been purchased by Bedminster Township in 1935 and the township municipal building was constructed on the property and used by the township until 2004. The building was demolished in 2011.
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