‘It’s really sad’ | Coalition to save Black cemetery blasts city officials

At the top of a hill, Carl Roberts sits on a block of cement. He points into a field of weeds, trees and overgrown grass.

“There’s one all the way down in the woods,” Roberts says.

He’s talking about headstones.

Roberts is sitting in Hillcrest Cemetery, which straddles the line between the City of Cincinnati and Anderson Township. There are more than 1,000 veterans buried beneath him.

Some were former slaves who had to fight for the right to fight for our country. And for years, this historic Black cemetery sat in disrepair.

Keith BieryGolick

Roberts is the treasurer of the Coalition to Save Hillcrest Cemetery , the latest in a long line of nonprofit organizations trying to restore it. The headstone he points to in the woods is located in Cincinnati.

To his left, where the grass is freshly cut, is Anderson Township. It’s all Hillcrest Cemetery, but the difference is striking.

“It’s really sad,” said Todd Mayer, president of the coalition. “It's very frustrating that we can't get the City of Cincinnati to take care of the acres they have.”

Mayer, an Army veteran, has volunteered with the coalition for a decade. He said the organization is running out of money because of how much it costs to maintain the portion of the cemetery in Cincinnati. It keeps the group from restoring headstones or mapping out where people are buried.

“The city of Cincinnati has just not been responsive,” Mayer said.

Keith BieryGolick

But the city doesn't own the property. The coalition does. And a Cincinnati spokesperson says they have no legal obligation to take care of it.

“The city doesn't maintain personal property,” said Mollie Lair, a city spokesperson. “If someone wants to get their lawn mowed, then the city isn't going to do that."

In an email, Lair said conversations about the cemetery stalled because there wasn’t a clear proposal from the coalition. She said volunteers could reach out if they wanted to continue talks.

In Anderson Township, officials literally took ownership of their portion of the cemetery. Hamilton County’s probation department now mows the grass, and the township helps when they get behind.

"We will certainly do our part,” said Vicky Earhart, Anderson Township administrator. “And I hope the city would eventually join in as well."

Standing in the cemetery, Mayer shakes his head. For him, it’s not about whether something is a legal obligation. It’s about honoring veterans.

And on that hot and muggy day, that’s why volunteers from GE Aerospace met with Mayer. They fixed markers, cleaned graves and trimmed tall weeds. On Monday, they say hundreds of people will visit for Memorial Day.

The cemetery looks better than it has in years, but Mayer still worries about its future.