Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery

This website offers details about the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery, including its history, origins, and current status. It serves as a resource to inform and document the rich legacy of the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery.

Interred in the Cemetery are individuals who left an enduring and inspiring legacy that must be honored and preserved. They played significant roles in the “Civil War Era”, the “Civil Rights Era”, education, the community at-large and the establishment of the Oakland Baptist Church.

Commemorative Plaque

The Cemetery has been restored to include the repair and cleaning of markers and the filling of sink holes. An account regarding the process for restoration is communicated below.

The granite, commemorative, historic stone and plaque was installed in 2024.

The Restored Cemetery

For many years, dedicated efforts have been made to preserve and restore the historic Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery. In October 2025, a new ornamental fence was installed, enhancing the beauty of the Cemetery and reinforcing its significance as a cherished landmark within Fort Ward Park.

Brief History

Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery was founded around 1897. It was a part of The Fort, a village formed by emancipated African Americans on the site of the Civil War Era Fort Ward in the City of Alexandria, Virginia. The Cemetery began as a family burial site used by the Burr and Harriet McKnight Shorts extended family.

During the 1930s, a portion of the family burial ground was conveyed to the Oakland Baptist Church. This property is still owned by the Oakland Baptist Church. The Cemetery began as an unconstructed place for African Americans to bury their loved ones.

Mrs. Clara Adams

Mrs. Clara Adams along with other Oakland Baptist Church founding members such as William Carpenter, John Wesley Casey, Maggie Hall, Mollie Nelson, Nancy Shepherd, James William Terrell, Harriett McKnight Shorts, Daniel Simms, Sr. and Smith Wanzer are significant families because of their contributions to the Fort Ward community and the City of Alexandria. Mrs. Adams died in 1952, she was buried next to her husband on their land in a spot south of today’s Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery. In historic deeds, this area is referred to as the “Old Graveyard.

The Cemetery is located along the eastern edge of the now City-owned Fort Ward Park and is on property donated by the Adams family. Documenting this landmark provides an enduring legacy for the Oakland Baptist Church and the nation.

Ms. Adams’ headstone stands today on land once owned by her parents, Burr and Harriett Stuart McKnight Shorts. It is not within the present boundaries of the Cemetery. Her grave is marked with a headstone that reads Clara W. Adams; June 2, 1865; Feb. 1, 1952.

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Mrs. Elizabeth Virginia Henry Douglas

While Mrs. Douglas was not interred in the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery, she provided historical content regarding her ancestors. She was born June 19, 1918 and recalls living at “The Fort” and attending the school that was on that property.  Mrs. Douglas passed away February 2014. Her father was William B. Henry, and her mother was Annie Lee Wood Henry. Her nephew Edward Taft Henry was a member of the Oakland Baptist Church. They provide direct links to the Cemetery.

Sadly, Brother Edward “Taft” Henry passed away in July 2025. Here is a link to his obituary. Edward Henry Obituary (2025) – Alexandria, VA – The Washington Post.

The oral history and accounts that that Mrs. Douglas provided have become a vital part of the community and her legacy.  The City of Alexandria designated her as the Historian for the Seminary African American Community. Her contributions were significant.

Many contributors to this project who knew Sister Douglas enjoyed receiving the poems that she distributed on Sundays after church services.  She also authored a booklet of poems entitled, “Sister Elizabeth Douglas, Her Poems & Her Life.” Additional accounts (oral histories) and information about the “The Fort” can be found here.

Mrs. Mollie Nelson

Mrs. Mollie Nelson, a founder of Oakland Baptist Church, was a midwife and one of the pillars of ‘The Fort” and “Seminary” Community.

Mrs. Elizabeth Henry Douglas remembers: “We had to go right up to Aunt Mollie’s house, and you crossed the bridge and go right up. She wasn’t any relation to us, but she was the one that delivered babies all through the county”.

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Historic Recognition

Because of the significant role the Cemetery played in the history of the local community, City of Alexandria, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the United States of America, the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery was recognized in the Virginia Landmarks Register (VLR) (December 14, 2017) and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), (September 4, 2018).

Mrs. Joyce Casey Sanchez, one of the descendants of the Casey family, and member of the Oakland Baptist Church, celebrated her 90th birthday on August 26, 2023. Ms. Sanchez is a third generation Alexandrian. In an article, entitled “The Other Alexandria: Giving Back to the Youth: Joyce Casey Sanchez” by Char McCargo Bah of the Gazette Packet, Saturday, October 17, 2020, Ms. Sanchez discussed some of her achievements and the importance of giving back to the youth of Alexandria. Dr. Michael Casey, also a descendant of the original Casey family of “The Fort”, attributes some of his educational achievements to Ms. Sanchez.

Ms. Sanchez would have been 91 years old on August 26, 2024. It is with heavy hearts that we express that Ms. Sanchez passed away on Sunday, August 4, 2024. May God lift the family up during this time.