The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archaeological resources.

On June 5, 2017, Mt. Olive Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its significant contributions to the African American culture. This property is the only property in Hinds County to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

Over the past year and half, Heather Wilcox, Neighborhood Development Assistant for the Center for University-Based Development (CUBD) at JSU, has been researching and documenting burial sites at Mt. Olive Cemetery. In January, 2017, she wrote and submitted the nomination packet to get Mt. Olive Cemetery listed on the National Register of Historic Places. From there, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History submitted the nomination packet to the National Park Service in Washington D.C. for review.

To review the official press release from the National Park Service please click on link. https://www.nps.gov/nr/listings/20170609.htm

Once all the research is complete, CUBD plans on releasing a booklet that details who is buried in the cemetery and an executive summary of their findings. This booklet is slated to be complete in August, 2017.

Now that the cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it qualifies for federal historic preservation grant dollars.

For more information, please contact Heather Wilcox at 601-979-5828 or by email at heather.a.wilcox@jsums.edu.