Cemetery Revitalization
In 1908, the original town plan for Allensworth set aside 10 acres for a cemetery. By 1923, when the first cemetery committee was formed, the county had reduced it to 5 acres. Today, the Allensworth Historical Cemetery holds at least 60 known burials, with graves dating back to 1911. Many of those laid to rest were original settlers of the town, the first in California founded, financed, and governed by African Americans. Like much of the living townsite, the cemetery lies outside the boundaries of the State Historic Park and has remained largely unprotected.
This land holds the remains of African Americans who shaped the region’s history. It is a place of shared heritage and deep ancestral ties. Today, it calls on all of us to honor the memory through collective stewardship.
“The purpose and significance is that the pioneers who built and founded this community in 1908 are buried right here, and that this site honors their dignity and pride in building and running the community”
-Sherry Hunter
Allensworth Historic Cemetery
Just 1.5 miles beyond the park boundary, the cemetery now faces serious threats. Farming equipment, ATVs, and grazing cattle have damaged or erased burial sites, while decades of encroaching agriculture from the 1970s to the mid-1990s have altered the land. In 1920, Tulare County handed over ownership of the historic cemetery, and while the Allensworth Community Services District (ACSD) was approved to manage the site, no funding or preservation resources were provided.
By 2023, through grants and private donations $423,000 were raised to support the community-owned portion of the cemetery, funding projects such as iron fencing, scanning, irrigation, and landscaping. To date,The cemetery has been fully scanned, revealing 42 previously unknown graves, and irrigation has been completed using private donations. A contract has been signed to install fencing around the entire 5-acre site. The community is currently seeking additional funding to design and preserve the historical portion of the cemetery, including plans for a memorial wall.
Historic Cemetery Groundbreaking Ceremony
Oct. 25, 2026 marked a historic milestone for the Allensworth Cemetery, as community members and partners gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony, honoring the site’s history and the work to restore and preserve it for future generations.
Allensworth Community Cemetery
Alongside the restoration of the historic burial ground, the remaining portion of the cemetery parcel will be developed as the Allensworth Community Cemetery. A new space designed to serve current and future residents of Allensworth. For the first time in decades, community members will have the opportunity to be buried in their own rural town, reinforcing a continued sense of belonging, memory, and connection to the land.
The permitting process is complete, and physical improvements are now underway. Dr. Alison Hirsch, professor of landscape architecture at USC, is leading the design to ensure the work is both sustainable and respectful of the site’s heritage. The cemetery has been fully scanned, and once the fence is completed, work will move forward with landscaping and plot planning.
Arrangements
Right now, nobody is being buried at the community cemetery. Once a fence is installed, pre-need arrangements can be made.
Stewardship
The Allensworth Historical and Community Cemetery is both a sacred burial site and a shared cultural landscape. Long-term care and stewardship are essential to honoring those laid to rest and preserving the space for future generations. Although the cemetery has never been officially recognized as a historical site we are working to have a national register nomination. Ongoing efforts include professional grounds care, sustainable landscape management, and collaboration with community volunteers and partners to support ceremonies and seasonal activities.
Volunteer with Us!
Volunteers are invited to help maintain the cemetery during monthly clean-up events. Event details will be shared in advance. For more information, please contact Valerie Contreras
Contact Information
Valerie Contreras
General Manager allensworthcsd@gmail.com
Operation Hours
Monday - Friday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Closed on all Federal Holidays
Location
Allensworth Historical Cemetery 7995 Rd 80, Allensworth, CA 93219
Historically, the cemetery originally spanned east to west, but in the transfer of ownership, it was reduced to a 5-acre plot running north to south.