The Burial Grounds of the Presbyterian Church was designated in 1720, about the same time that the West Fields of Elizabeth was settled as a village. Early on, the Burial Grounds was a community cemetery and all residents of Westfield would have been eligible for burial here; there were no restrictions based on race or ethnicity.
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Slaves were bought and sold in Westfield in the 18th and early 19th centuries, although the exact location of the auction site is unknown, it was most likely in this central downtown area, possibly at Lincoln Plaza according to local folklore. In 1780 there were 25 enslaved people living in Westfield, more than the number of houses reported in town and the Westfield Historical Society documents that slaves were openly traded on the streets of Westfield in 1813. Westfield’s wealthiest families, including the Cory, Elmer, and Ross families, all owned slaves in 1830.
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Bethel Baptist Church has played an important role in the African American community in Westfield over the years. In 1988 it hosted the first annual town-wide celebration of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The current pastor of Bethel Baptist Church is the Rev. Kevin Clark, who succeeded the Rev. Miles Austin, an original founder of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Westfield.
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Robeson Park was dedicated on July 10, 2007 to commemorate the contributions of the Robeson family to the town of Westfield, the State of New Jersey, and the countries of the world. Robeson Park, situated at the location of the Robeson family home from 1907 to 1910, was the culmination of efforts that began in 1998 as the town acknowledged the centennial year of Paul Robeson’s birthday.
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Zora Neale Hurston, an accomplished author, anthropologist, and film maker and an important contributor to the Harlem Renaissance was the leading Black woman novelist during the 1920s - 1930s. Around 1930 Ms. Hurston lived in this house in Westfield while collaborating with Langston Hughes on a play for Broadway called Mule Bone.
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The Plinton Funeral Home was established in 1949 by W. Hollis Plinton (1915 - 1983), a graduate of Westfield High School. Mr. Plinton attended Boston University and the School of Embalming and Restoration after serving in World War II, for which he was the first Black man drafted in Westfield. Plinton funeral home is in the center of what was the Black Professional Zone (from the 1940s through the 1970s) where many Black businesses and professional offices were situated in Westfield.
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The Elks Centennial Lodge 400 was organized in 1923 as a community organization for African American men. In 1954, Mayor Emerson Thomas donated a nine-room house on Spring Street (now Watterson Street) for the use of the lodge, which was eventually moved to its present location at 444 West Broad Street.
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The Westfield Community has been an important part of Westfield since 1935. It started as a Toy Lending Library that also offered a full-scale recreation program and a work employment program for young men and women in the area. Through the years the Westfield Community Center hosted many distinguished visitors including Jackie Robinson, Althea Gibson, Jesse Owens, Mary McLeod Bethune, as well as Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Harry James, and Woody Herman and their orchestras.
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The renowned poet, novelist, playwright and social activist, Langston Hughes, lived in this house in Westfield around 1930 while he collaborated with Zora Neale Hurston on writing a play for Broadway. Hughes, like Hurston, became an important contributor to the Harlem Renaissance. Langston Hughes moved from Westfield back to New York City in 1931.
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St. Luke’s African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church came into existence in 1853 and the current church was built in 1907-1908 during Reverend William Drew Robeson's tenure. Rev. Robeson was the father of Paul Robeson, for whom the street corner at Downer and Osborn Streets is named. St. Luke's is one of two traditionally Black churches in the town of Westfield. The current pastor of St. Luke’s is the Rev. William E. Lawson.
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The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Monument was erected by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Westfield to honor Dr. King. This monument was dedicated on June 19, 2005 (“Juneteenth”) in a public celebration and now serves as a place of quiet reflection, as a rallying point for peaceful demonstrations, memorials, and vigils, and as the starting location of the march to the annual commemorative MLK Day service on the third Monday in January of every year.
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The Westfield Neighborhood Council (WNC) is a private, non-profit community based social service organization that started in 1967 as a grassroots movement by the women of Cacciola Place in response to the difficult living conditions of the predominately Black families in their neighborhood. Through the years WNC programs have included pre-school, after-school, summer, teens, and senior citizens activities.
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In the 1830s, according to recollections of old families in Westfield, the Gideon Ross estate had slave quarters that were still in existence until the 1920s. The 1830s tax records indicate there were approximately 19 African American enslaved people living in Westfield, though by 1850 only one enslaved person remained.
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When the Burial Grounds of the Presbyterian Church in Westfield became crowded, Fairview Cemetery was opened in 1868 to afford more burial space. Fairview is notable for its unsegregated burial site of Civil War soldiers in Area G and for the plot of an indentured servant buried with the family she served in Area A.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
Get a QR Code for this tour
This is a walking tour that highlights some of the places of historical significance to African Americans in the town of Westfield upon its 300-year anniversary in 2020. The first 11 sites are in downtown Westfield and therefore walkable, the last three sites (12, 13, and 14), however, would be best reached by car.
