Harford Mutual Insurance Group Supports Hendon Hill Cemetery Project

Harford Mutual Insurance Group announced it has donated $3,750 to the Hendon Hill Cemetery Project.

Hendon Hill is Bel Air’s only historic African American cemetery. It is located on Vale Road and is owned and maintained by Ames United Methodist Church.

Funding for the project helped provide repair and restoration work at the cemetery, which included new signage, a historical marker, driveway improvements, and landscaping. A rededication service was held at the cemetery on October 17, 2021.

The cemetery dates back to 1873 when Benjamin Hendon transferred one-half acre of land to Ames United Methodist Church to establish a cemetery for African American residents of Harford County. Hendon Hill Cemetery is the final resting place of civil war veterans, housekeepers, laborers, children, and founding members of the American Legion Post #55 in Bel Air. Historical research has identified 160 burials at the site, with approximately 70% of the graves being unmarked.

The Hendon Hill Committee, Ames United Methodist Church, and Historical Black Bel Air coordinated the fundraising efforts of the Hendon Hill Project to recognize the historical significance of the site and pay tribute to the African American residents of Bel Air who are buried at the location.