TOPEKA (KSNT) – The City of Topeka is working to preserve Ritchie Cemetery, a historic site with roots dating back to the 1850’s.
City staff and the Topeka Landmarks Commission held a meeting Thursday night to discuss plans to protect the cemetery and support future historical research.
Located near Southwest 27th Street and Southwest Boswell Avenue, the cemetery holds an important place in Topeka’s history. According to the city, people buried at the site include ancestors involved in the Brown v. Board of Education case and African American veterans of the Spanish-American War.
Tisharra Hale, president of the Ritchie Cemetery Friends Group, a local organization that aims to maintain the cemetery grounds, said preserving the site is important for keeping the local African American community’s history alive.
“I think it’s important for the African American community to know that people are actually working to preserve that part of our history that had been a little bit lost for a while,” Hale said.
The proposed plan is expected to help guide the cemetery’s long-term care, including future preservation and restoration efforts. According to the city, additional partners include the Ritchie Cemetery Friends Group, Stantec, the Kansas Historical Society and the National Park Service.
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