A historic Dallas landmark is now under police surveillance after vandals targeted Freedman’s Memorial Cemetery, damaging the site and stealing several handcrafted memorial items.
The cemetery, located along the Central Expressway frontage road near Lemmon Avenue, is one of the city’s most sacred sites. It marks the final resting place of thousands from Dallas’ first Black settlement, dating back to the 1860s. The site holds both city landmark and state historic designations.
Memorial plaques reported missing
City officials confirmed that at least eight specially designed plaques—created by artisans to honor those buried at the site—have been removed from the cemetery’s memorial walls.
“This is sacred ground, and we see it as that,” a city representative said. “We want to do our best to protect it.”
M. Renee Johnson with the City of Dallas said the city was alerted to the theft by police.
“At some point we found out DPD contacted our department and advised us they had received [a] 911 call,” Johnson said.
Security measures now in place
In response to the theft, the city has installed surveillance cameras and posted new signage restricting access to the cemetery between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. daily. The gates, which had previously remained open to the public at all hours, will now be locked overnight.
A quiet loss with lasting impact
Though the cemetery shows little visible damage, the absence of the plaques is deeply felt by those who value the site’s historical and cultural significance.
The motive behind the vandalism remains unknown, and no suspects have been identified. Police continue to investigate.
Also missing is an answer to the question: Why?
CBS News Texas will provide updates as more information becomes available.