The Odd Fellows Cemetery was established between 1880 and 1885 when four separate African American social organizations bought the land to create the cemetery. It is named after the Banner Lodge Chapter of the Odd Fellows Fraternal Order that was established in February 1882. Many prominent African Americans are buried there, including Calvin “Cal” Johnson, Knoxville’s first African American millionaire, and William Yardley, a former City Alderman and 1876 candidate for governor of Tennessee.
The organization that created Odd Fellows Cemetery no longer exists and this has left it in limbo for decades. Various efforts by local governments and citizens groups have prevented the complete destruction of the cemetery, but the financial resources required to restore and maintain the many grave markers and interpret the site for a new generation of Knoxvillians have never been secured. This leaves the site vulnerable to vandalism and decay. It is a problem plaguing historic cemeteries across the region. Knox Heritage will seek to work with groups and citizens interested in establishing a “friends” organization for the cemetery, similar to group that maintains Old Gray Cemetery on Broadway. Until a sustainable source of funding can be found, the cemetery will remain endangered.
