3D Exhibit, Unforgotten

Unforgotten

Explore some of the stories of the Mt. Zion and Female Union Band Society Cemeteries through 3D captures

...death reflects life, and the treatment of Black people in life is reflective of treatment of Black people in death.
- Lisa Fager, 2024

About the Cemeteries

The Mt. Zion and Female Union Band Society Cemeteries are the oldest majority Black cemeteries known to exist in the District of Columbia. The Mt Zion Cemetery was established by the Montgomery Street Methodist Church (later the Dumbaron Street Methodist Church) in 1808 as the Old Methodist Burying Ground, while the Female Union Band Society Cemetery was founded separately in 1842 by a benevolent organization of free Black women. They sit adjacent to each other, nestled into a quiet corner of the Georgetown neighborhood and Rock Creek Park. Together, they reflect the efforts of Black communities to care for one another through mutual aid and long lasting relationships.

These cemeteries hold the remains of thousands of people, many of whom may never be known to us. The stories below, of the individuals and places that inhabit these grounds, offer only a small glimpse into the rich tapestry of Black Georgetown and Washington D.C. life that each person interred here helped shape at some point in their lives. Many of the people laid to rest here escaped the horrors of race-based chattel slavery before finding themselves a part of this community.

As you browse this exhibit, I ask that you remember one name or story and share it with someone else. Many of these histories survived through oral tradition. Consider honoring that legacy by carrying their memory forward.

📍 Virtual Experience: View 3D photo of the cemteries below

The Historical Perception of Black Cemeteries

Photo of Dr. Colin Crusor; Black and White

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About the Headstones

Jeffries

Cemetery Vault

The vault at Mount Zion and Female Union Band Society Cemeteries is one of the most recognized landmarks on the grounds. Built in the early 1800s by the Presbyterian church, it was first used as a holding tomb during winter months when the ground was too cold to bury the dead. As the cemetery became part of the Black community’s sacred space, the vault took on new layers of meaning. It’s often linked to oral histories about the Underground Railroad, a story that reflect the strength and survival of the people connected to this place. Today, the vault stands not just as a remnant of the past, but as a symbol of Black resilience, memory, and ongoing care for these grounds.

📍 Virtual Experience: View a 3D rendering of the Cemetery Vault's entrance below

The Story of Nanny

Nanny

Though little is known about her life, Nannie’s grave has become a point of reflection and care within the community. The simplicity of her headstone with just a name, with no dates or details, has drawn visitors who see in it a reminder of the many lives whose stories were never fully recorded. Local historians, preservationists, and descendants of those buried here have worked to honor graves like hers, ensuring that even those without extensive records are not forgotten. In that way, Nannie continues to inspire remembrance, sparking a quiet but enduring love for the history held within Mount Zion Cemetery.

Amanda Love Estes

Photo of Amanda Love Estes, posing in a tin-type style photo

Amanda Love Estes was born into slavery around May 1850 in the shadow of Crowders Mountain, a rocky peak rising from the piedmont landscape of Gaston County in North Carolina. At the age of 14, her name appears on an 1863 valuation list where she was priced as human property at $1,137. Following Emancipation, she migrated north and settled in the Georgetown area of Washington D.C., where she built a life for herself. At 1918 M Street NW, she raised eight children with her husband Thomas Odell Estes while working as a housekeeper and remaining deeply connected to community life through her membership at Mount Zion Methodist Church. Amanda died at home on May 7, 1922, at the age of 72. Her funeral was handled by George W. Wise, and she was laid to rest in the Female Union Band Society Cemetery near the Logan family plot.

In 2023, a note appeared at her grave, written with permanent marker on a white plastic candle.

Thank you for migrating North after Emancipation. You were the light that lit the way.
Love your great, great, 3x Granddaughter

When the Black Georgetown Foundation shared this story online through an Instagram post, the comment section became a node of communal memory. Others responded: one descendant identified Amanda as her great-great-grandmother, directed to her through a DNA test. These exchanges display how the memory work being conducted by the Black Georgetown Foundation extends beyond the physical site and into our digital future. These small, intimate acts come together to form a collective thread of remembrance, where they reconnect descendants to their shared histories.

Instagram post featuring Amanda Estes's grave and candle