City Cemetery (Raleigh, North Carolina)

The City Cemetery of Raleigh, also known as Old City Cemetery, was authorized in 1798 by the North Carolina General Assembly as Raleigh's first burying ground. It was laid out on 4 acres (1.6 ha) of land just outside the original 1792 eastern boundary of Raleigh and bounded by East Street on the west, East Hargett Street on the south, and Morgan Street on the north. It was originally laid out in four equal quarters with the northern two quarters reserved for residents, the southwestern for visitors, and the southeastern for Negroes, both free and slaves. Over time, the cemetery has gradually been enlarged toward New Bern Street in 1819, 1849, and 1856 and now contains approximately 7.5 acres (3.0 ha). The cemetery was enclosed in 1898 by a cast-iron fence that was formerly around Union Square to keep straying livestock out of the State Capitol grounds. A network of cobblestone driveways with granite curbstones run though the cemetery. In 1857, the city boundaries were extended to include the cemetery, and the city charter provided for a resident caretaker. Many persons of Raleigh's and North Carolina's early period are interred at City Cemetery including governors, mayors, politicians, newspaper editors, military officers, ministers, doctors, planters, attorneys, bankers, and Scottish and English stonemasons who helped build the Capitol.

City Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 12 September 2008.