The history department at Prairie View A&M University has launched an extensive historical and archaeological study of the Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery located behind campus, thanks to a $20,000 award from The Summerlee Foundation. The project aims to delineate the cemetery’s boundaries and identify individuals interred in its largely unmarked graves.
The initiative seeks to illuminate the stories of formerly enslaved individuals buried at the site, once part of the Alta Vista Plantation where PVAMU now stands. “This study will explore the African American-lived experience through participatory and archival research, digital humanities, oral history, geospatial data collection and analysis, and the creation of interactive and immersive maps,” said Dr. DeWayne Moore, a U.S. and public history professor at PVAMU. The project is set against the backdrop of PVAMU’s upcoming 150th anniversary in 2026.
Dr. Moore credits former PVAMU President Ruth Simmons with inspiring the project. Simmons advocated for such studies to affirm the university’s commitment to its students and their heritage. The project is a community effort among faculty, staff, students, administrators, experts, and residents.
Graduate student Evelyn Todd ’21, who has strong ties to the university, is actively involved in the research. “As a student, you always hear the stories about the cemetery in the back of campus. So, it was sad to find out this was it and watch it go downhill over the years,” said Todd, who is working towards her MBA. “I wanted to do my part to not just preserve the cemetery but honor it.”
History of the Alta Vista Plantation
Historically, the Alta Vista Plantation was owned by Colonel Jared E. Kirby, who transferred the property to the State of Texas in 1876. Moore noted that while Kirby was often depicted as a “benevolent” slaveholder, interviews with formerly enslaved individuals painted a different picture. Insights from a 1936 interview reveal harrowing accounts of mistreatment and substandard living conditions.
According to Moore, the Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery may encompass more than 2,000 graves, with current efforts focusing on identifying those buried within. “This cemetery contains not only the remains of enslaved men and women who once lived on the enslaved labor farm of Jared E. Kirby but also the graves of military veterans, the formerly enslaved, and their descendants,” he said.
Recent surveys conducted by archaeologists have begun identifying potential grave markers, with preliminary findings suggesting approximately 200 candidates. The team utilized ground-penetrating radar and other technologies to map the area more effectively.
