Volunteers Restore Historic Black Cemetery in Roanoke

Community effort underway to clean graves and research names at Old Lick Cemetery

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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Community volunteers across the Roanoke Valley are rallying to restore Old Lick Cemetery, once the only burial ground for Black residents in Roanoke and now partly displaced by I-581. The Friends of Old Lick and First Baptist Church Gainsboro are cleaning graves, researching names, and inviting locals to donate or volunteer through their Facebook page.

Why it matters

Old Lick Cemetery is an important historical site that preserves the legacy of Roanoke's Black community. The restoration effort aims to honor those buried there and ensure the cemetery's history is not lost, even as development has encroached on the grounds over time.

The details

Volunteers are working to clean headstones, research the names of those buried at Old Lick, and invite the community to get involved through the Friends of Old Lick and First Baptist Church Gainsboro Facebook page. The cemetery was once the only burial ground for Black residents in Roanoke before being partially displaced by the construction of I-581.

  • The restoration effort is currently underway.

The players

Friends of Old Lick

A community group leading the restoration effort for Old Lick Cemetery.

First Baptist Church Gainsboro

A local church that is partnering with the Friends of Old Lick on the cemetery restoration project.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

The takeaway

The restoration of Old Lick Cemetery is an important community effort to preserve the history and legacy of Roanoke's Black residents, even as development has encroached on the grounds over time. This project highlights the ongoing need to honor and protect historic sites that tell the stories of marginalized communities.