Authorized in 1798 by the North Carolina General Assembly, the City Cemetery was Raleigh's first burying ground. Authorized in 1798 by the North Carolina General Assembly as Raleigh’s first burying ground, it was originally laid out on 4 acres just outside the city’s original 1792 eastern boundary. From this spot you can picture the original plan: four equal quarters, the northern two reserved for residents, the southwestern quarter for visitors, and the southeastern for Negroes, both free and slaves.
Over time the cemetery grew toward New Bern Street in 1819, 1849, and 1856 and today contains approximately 7.5 acres. In 1857 the city extended its boundaries to include this ground and the city charter provided for a resident caretaker. Stroll mentally along the network of cobblestone driveways with their granite curbstones that run through the grounds.
The cast-iron fence you see here was installed in 1898; it once surrounded Union Square and was brought here to keep straying livestock out of the State Capitol grounds. Many persons of Raleigh’s and North Carolina’s early period are interred here, including governors, mayors, and politicians. East Street, East Hargett Street, Morgan Street, and New Bern Street frame the grounds beneath you.