Mount Salvation Baptist Church and Cemetery

Mount Salvation Baptist Cemetery is one of two church-affiliated, historic African American cemeteries in the Hall’s Hill/High View Park neighborhood. It has been maintained continuously by the trustees of the affiliated church, Mount Salvation Baptist, since the congregation built its first church building on the property in 1892. The cemetery contains at least 89 burials ranging in dates from 1916 to 1974 (although it is likely burials began shortly after the congregation purchased the property in the late-19th century). The earliest known interment dates to 1916 and the last known interment was in 1974. There are at least 43 burials without grave markers, but it is unknown if any pre-date the 1916 burial. There are two other historic African American cemeteries in Arlington County that are designated as local historic districts: Lomax African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Cemetery in Green Valley and Calloway United Methodist Cemetery in Hall’s Hill. Mount Salvation would become the first Baptist cemetery to be locally designated and it is the final resting place of many influential Arlingtonians including Lucretia M. Lewis, Moses Pelham Jr., and Annie and Robert Spriggs. These families and hard working citizens created stability, safety, and a social support network for a community which sourced almost all of its services from within its boundaries during decades of segregation. Many of these people were the backbone of Arlington’s black community and are the reason that it has grown and thrived throughout history.

Please note that visitors can only view the exterior of this attraction.