(TROY, Ohio) — The office of Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson has secured a court order transferring ownership of a historic African American cemetery in Springcreek Township to a nonprofit that plans to restore and preserve the long-neglected site.
“This is an important part of Ohio history that should be preserved for future generations,” Wilson said. “This court order clears the way for the cemetery to be restored and cared for so its story can continue to be told.”
A Miami County judge on Wednesday approved the transfer of the cemetery and two neighboring lots to Land of the Freed, an organization whose work includes preserving and honoring the legacy of the Randolph Freedpeople.
The Randolph Freedpeople were a group of nearly 400 former slaves who came to Ohio in 1846 after being freed under the will of John Randolph, a Virginia plantation owner and U.S. congressman. Randolph directed his executor to buy land for the group, leading to the purchase of 3,200 acres in Mercer County.
When the group arrived, residents prevented them from settling on their new land. Forced to find another home, they established communities in Miami and Shelby counties.
The cemetery contains the remains of members of the Randolph Freedpeople, including several Civil War veterans, and their descendants.
The Rossville-Springcreek Historical Society acquired the cemetery and two wooded parcels over several years, beginning in 1982. The organization’s corporate status was canceled in 1996, and its trustees died without appointing successors. Although the township provides basic maintenance, the cemetery has fallen into disrepair without anyone left to actively manage the site.
In a July legal filing, the Charitable Law Section of Wilson’s office asked the Miami County Court of Common Pleas to transfer the properties to Land of the Freed so the nonprofit could restore and care for them in line with the historical society’s original charitable purpose.
The organization, founded in 2023 by a descendant of the Randolph Freedpeople, has developed a master plan to restore and preserve the cemetery and neighboring lots. The plan includes restoring displaced headstones, researching those buried there, maintaining the grounds, and building a memorial honoring the Randolph Freedpeople and their descendants. The transfer of the properties will allow that work to begin.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Dominic Binkley: 614-728-4127
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