Montgomery Town Supervisor Brian Maher announced last Tuesday that a committee has been established to revitalize the historic African American cemetery located off Route 416 in the Town of Montgomery.

The kickoff meeting took place on August 13 and included town officials, local historians, town residents as well as residents from each of the villages, teachers from the Valley Central School District, representatives from Valley Central Parents for Social Justice and other local social justice groups.

“This committee met for the first time and together we will endeavor to honor the memory of those buried in this historic cemetery,” said Montgomery Town Supervisor and committee founder Brian Maher. “We want the work of this committee to help educate ourselves and our community in a positive and transcendent way. This project will be an example of the great things we can accomplish when communities work together as a team and respect one another.”

This historic African American cemetery consists of 171 known grave markers on a .46 acre parcel of land located on the west side of State Route 416 in the Town of Montgomery. The cemetery was established in the 18th century for slaves and used by African Americans through the 19th century, with the earliest grave marker date from 1756.

The cemetery is located across the street from the Medline Industries facility which is currently under construction. Medline Industries sent a check for $100,000 to the Town of Montgomery to be used specifically towards the revitalization and upkeep of this African American cemetery. Fifty thousand dollars can be used upfront and the additional $50,000 is to be allocated $5,000 per year for a period of ten years.

“The committee spent much of the first meeting introducing everyone to each other and speaking about how the historic cemetery impacted each of us on an emotional level,” Maher said. “We look forward to growing together and creating something that can be used to educate ourselves, our community and our children for many years to come.”

Maher added that the group plans to meet regularly but does not have a designated time slot at the moment. There will be opportunities for non-committee members to help with the cemetery’s revitalization process. There is already a long list of people who want to help, either through donations or labor.

Those who want to help with the revitalization of the African American cemetery should email Montgomery Town Supervisor Brian Maher at bmaher@townofmontgomery.com or call him at (845)-457-2600 Option 2.