Historic Oak Lawn Cemetery

Historic Oak Lawn Cemetery Preserving the history and stories of Oak Lawn Cemetery, and other African American burial grounds of the City of Suffolk (former Nansemond County), Virginia.

Contact us today for questions or concerns about family history, grave location, or genealogy. In 1884, seven African-American veterans and businessmen of Suffolk, Virginia, purchased a plot of land for a cemetery for the local African-American community. The Sacred Grounds Project, Inc., an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, assists community initiatives to document, protect, and

preserve historic African American burial grounds and cemeteries and their rich history through conservation, advocacy, and educational initiatives. Oak Lawn Cemetery, located in Suffolk, Virginia, is one of the historic cemeteries we support through such initiatives. Through very hard work, Secretary and Historian of the Historic Oak Lawn Cemetery Foundation, Nadia K. Orton, gained state funding and a historical marker for this historic site between 2018 and 2019. All other supporters of Oak Lawn Cemetery have always been open to join, post, or write about their personal works for Oak Lawn, on all public and private platforms, administered by Nadia K. Orton, and the Sacred Grounds Project, Inc.We believe preservation efforts for Oak Lawn Cemetery should include the following: (1) general and continuous maintenance (inclusive of all issues that may lead to further deterioration of the graves of Oak Lawn, and may constitute dangerous conditions for descendants and visitors), removal of dead and fallen trees, poisonous plants, open holes and depressions; (2) regular outreach to descendant communities and the general public, through publicly advertised meetings and other communications, as originally developed for the cemetery in 2011, and (3) open and respectful support for all cemetery volunteers, and their cumulative work on Oak Lawn Cemetery. Our record on these subjects is clear and thoroughly documented, and we remain committed to these goals.Oak Lawn Cemetery (est. 1885) is located within Virginia's Fourth Congressional District

Finding Mr. James BandyFor years, the gravestone of James Bandy was something of a mystery. I first noticed the granite ...
08/28/2026

Finding Mr. James Bandy

For years, the gravestone of James Bandy was something of a mystery. I first noticed the granite grave marker in 2018. It seemed a little out of place compared to other burials in Oak Lawn, and I couldn't locate any information about a "Jim" or "James" Bandy who passed away around 1920 buried in Oak Lawn. I hoped to meet family or relatives in the cemetery, but had no luck. This week, I finally realized that the date on the stone, June 12, 1920, might not refer to the date of death, but a date of birth. With a little research, I think I've identified the right person.

The Bandy Family hails from Edgecombe and Halifax Counties in North Carolina. James Bandy was born in Rocky Mount (Edgecombe County), the son of William Turner Bandy (b. ca. 1870), a farmer, of Edgecombe County, N. C., and Miss Lottie Ward (ca. 1870-1930).

Records note James Bandy as a resident of Suffolk by the 1940s. He married Miss Allease Jones, daughter of of William Jones and Maggie Warren, in 1946. By 1950, the couple was documented in a residence on Wellons Street, with James listed as a laborer in a saw mill. Alease passed away in 1969, and was interred in the family cemetery in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. James married Miss Christine R. Copeland in 1973.

Mr. James Bandy passed away on June 14, 1984. Graveside services were held June 18th, with the Crocker Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

One day, perhaps an entrance like this could be created for Oak Lawn. Photo: Yorktown National Cemetery, Yorktown, Virgi...
08/28/2026

One day, perhaps an entrance like this could be created for Oak Lawn. Photo: Yorktown National Cemetery, Yorktown, Virginia. Photo: Nadia Orton, May 19, 2015

Ravine behind Oak Lawn Cemetery. Photo: Nadia Orton
08/27/2026

Ravine behind Oak Lawn Cemetery. Photo: Nadia Orton

*Broken gravestones, like the one placed in honor of Arlethia Spellman, should be thoroughly documented, but should also...
08/24/2026

*Broken gravestones, like the one placed in honor of Arlethia Spellman, should be thoroughly documented, but should also be left in the location in which they are found until the gravesite is officially identified (if possible). Any and all repair or resetting work should be performed by a specialist.*

08/21/2026
African American Oystermen historical highway marker, Hobson, 2010. Photo: Nadia Orton
08/21/2026

African American Oystermen historical highway marker, Hobson, 2010. Photo: Nadia Orton

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440 Market Street
Suffolk, VA
23434

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