The City of Charleston Public Burial Ground (1794–1807)

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Located at 106 Coming Street and part of 99 St. Philip Street, this site holds one of Charleston’s oldest and most significant public burial grounds, established by the city in 1794. Serving as the city’s only official public cemetery until 1807, it became the final resting place for thousands who could not otherwise access burial in churchyards or private cemeteries—including enslaved and free people of African descent, the poor, travelers, and children from local orphanages.

Known historically as the “Strangers and Negroe Burying Ground,” it operated during a pivotal era prior to the federal abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in 1808. Historical records and city ordinances show the cemetery was strictly regulated, racially segregated, and the site of countless burials—including Africans who died soon after arrival in the port.

Due to redevelopment and the passage of time, the burial ground’s history faded from public memory and, today, few physical traces remain. However, research reveals this site’s scale and significance rivals other nationally recognized burial grounds, like New York City’s African Burial Ground National Monument.

As development is proposed on this block—once also home to the historic YWCA—this discovery compels us to recognize, honor, and preserve the memory of those buried here, whose stories enrich Charleston’s and the nation’s understanding of our collective past.