KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Knoxville community of West View may seem less suspecting from a bird’s eye view, but it’s home to the largest African American burial site in the county. A passerby might not give a second glance to any of the three abandoned cemeteries, but they contain individuals whose impact the community and Knox Heritage are working to honor and preserve.
The West View Cemetery District is located off of Keith Avenue and is made up of three cemeteries: Southern Chain Cemetery which was established in 1898, Longview Cemetery, which was established in 1915, and Crestview Cemetery, which was established in 1922.
The cemetery district has been on Knox Heritage’s “Fragile & Fading” list multiple times. Knox Heritage stated that there are an estimated 15,000 burials between the three cemeteries, but there may be more unrecorded burials…