african church cemetery

What african church cemetery does

Friends of the African Union Church Cemetery (FAUCC) is a Delaware-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 to restore, preserve, and provide public education about the African Union Church Cemetery in Delaware City. The cemetery, established in 1835 by five Black trustees, is part of Polktown — one of the earliest remaining free Black settlements in Delaware — and contains the graves of five United States Colored Troops (USCT) veterans from the Civil War (James Elbert, Joseph Byard, Lewis Taylor, William Crawford, Alexander Draper). The restored cemetery and memorial plaza opened to the public on September 17, 2016 along the Delaware City Canal Trail, after roughly two decades of volunteer-led restoration work.

FAUCC's core offerings center on three program lines: (1) 'Voices from the Past,' a living-history school program featuring master storyteller Willis Phelps portraying USCT Private James Elbert, supported by primary-source 19th-century military and pension records, and funded in part by a State of Delaware Grant-in-Aid; (2) the annual Delaware City–Polktown Juneteenth Observance, a multi-day commemoration involving the City, Fort Delaware State Park, Mt. Salem U.A.M.E. Church, and the Delaware Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society; and (3) ongoing historical research on Polktown and the USCT soldiers interred at the site. The organization does not develop technology products; its 'platform' is the physical cemetery, the archival record, and the volunteer interpreter corps.

Revenue is sourced from tax-deductible donations, a seven-tier annual membership program ($10 Individual through $500 Benefactor), corporate and civic event sponsorships (notably PBF Energy/Delaware City Refining Company), and foundation/state grants (Longwood Foundation, Delaware Humanities, the Distressed Cemetery Fund, SECC). Go-to-market is community- and event-driven: marketing runs through the website, an annual newsletter series ('The Epitaph'), Facebook, local press, and direct community partnerships with Delaware City government, the City Library, and preservation organizations. The customer base spans the local general public, K-12 schools, and community/historical organizations across the Delaware region.

Name

african church cemetery

Legal name

Friends of the African Union Church Cemetery, Inc.

Website

https://africanunioncemetery.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Friends of the African Union Church Cemetery is a Delaware 501(c)(3) nonprofit that preserves the restored 1835 African Union Church Cemetery in Delaware City — burial site of five U.S. Colored Troops veterans — and delivers living-history school programs, Juneteenth observances, and Polktown historical research to local schools, community groups, and the general public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic Cemetery Preservation and Cultural Heritage Education

NAICS

Historical Sites (71212), Historical Sites (712120), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Religious Organizations (8131)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Preservation & Landmarks Conservation (BPAGAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

Keywords

• Cemetery preservation
• Historical education programs
• Living history presentations
• African American heritage
• Community commemoration events

Headquarters

HQ city

Delaware City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals and organizations supporting cemetery preservation and education mission.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership tiers ranging from $10 (Individual) to $500 (Benefactor), providing recurring support and community engagement.
3. State Grants: State of Delaware Grant in Aid funding supports the Voices from the Past living history program for schools and community groups.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Friends of the African Union Church Cemetery preserves and maintains the historic African Union Church Cemetery in Delaware City, Delaware, which contains the graves of five United States Colored Troops Civil War veterans. The organization delivers the "Voices from the Past" living history school presentation program, hosts an annual multi-day Juneteenth Observance, conducts historical research on the Polktown free Black community, and operates a tiered annual membership program to support preservation, commemoration, and education.

Product overview

The Friends of the African Union Church Cemetery (FAUCC) is a nonprofit preservation organization offering educational programs and community events centered on African American history and Civil War heritage. Its core products include the "Voices from the Past" living history presentation program portraying USCT soldier Private James Elbert, the annual Juneteenth Observance with multi-day commemorative events, cemetery preservation and restoration services, and historical research on Polktown. The organization also operates a membership program with tiered annual contributions and maintains partnerships with Delaware City and Fort Delaware State Park for program delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Voices from the Past A living history presentation program featuring master storyteller Willis Phelps portraying Private James Elbert, a Civil War USCT soldier buried at Polktown's African Union Church Cemetery. Includes hands-on archival document experiences and post-visit classroom activities for K-12 schools and community groups, funded by State of Delaware Grant in Aid.
• Annual Juneteenth Observance Annual multi-day Juneteenth celebration featuring commemorative services, Black Owned Businesses Expos, living history presentations, and community cookouts held in Delaware City and at Fort Delaware State Park, with co-convener leadership from Rev. Marilyn Turner and Marilyn Whittington.
• Cemetery Preservation and Restoration Restoration and maintenance of the African Union Church Cemetery, including the memorial plaza, located along the Delaware City Canal Trail. The cemetery contains graves of five United States Colored Troops veterans from the Civil War (James Elbert, Joseph Byard, Lewis Taylor, William Crawford, and Alexander Draper) and was officially reopened to the public on September 17, 2016.
• Annual Membership Program Tiered annual membership program with seven contribution levels: Individual ($10), Family ($20), Supporting ($30), Patron ($50), Sponsor ($100), Anchor ($200), and Benefactor ($500), providing recurring support and community engagement for cemetery preservation and education programs.
• Polktown Historical Research Research program documenting the social history of Polktown, one of the earliest remaining free Black settlements in Delaware established by five Black trustees in 1835, including contributions of local Black soldiers to the Union army during the Civil War.
• Living History Interpreter Program Contracted performers who portray 19th century United States Colored Troopers in costume at schools and community venues. The program presents the Voices From the Past content using first-person historical interpretation methodology.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual Juneteenth observance events drawing multiple sponsors including City of Delaware City, Delaware City Refining Company, Fort Delaware State Park
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• City of Delaware CitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity government co-sponsor of Delaware City-Polktown Juneteenth Observance. Mayor Paul Johnson serves as Ex-Officio board member. City provides organizational support and event sponsorship.
• Delaware City Refining Company (PBF Energy)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor event sponsor and community supporter. PBF Energy is one of the largest independent petroleum refiners in the United States. Has provided both funding and volunteer support to community organizations.
• Fort Delaware State ParkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner venue for Juneteenth and Shove Off Day programming. Hosts reenactments and educational presentations about Union troops and emancipation.
• Delaware Chapter Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvent co-sponsor providing expertise in African American history and genealogical research for Juneteenth observance.
• Mount Salem U.A.M.E. ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwner of the African Union Church Cemetery. Rev. Marilyn Turner serves as FAUCC President. Church hosts Juneteenth worship services.
• Delaware City Fire CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity event sponsor for Juneteenth celebrations.
• Delaware City LibraryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-hosts educational events with Juneteenth theme for children, tweens, teens and adults beginning May 2026.
• Delaware City Police DepartmentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor and community partner for Juneteenth observance.
• Fort DuPont Redevelopment and Preservation CorporationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPreservation organization sponsor for Juneteenth events.
• Main Street Delaware CityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMain Street organization sponsor for Juneteenth celebration.
• Underground Railroad Coalition of DelawareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting historical education about African American history.
• Preservation Delaware, Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide nonprofit dedicated to preservation of Delaware's architectural heritage and historic settings.
• Delaware Department of AgricultureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerState agency sponsor for community events and programs.
• Jackson Lodge No. 19minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFreemason lodge established 1857, serving Delaware City community. Located at 406 Fourth Street.
• The Cutting Edge of Delaware, Inc.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLandscaping contractor with 20+ years experience, event sponsor providing property services.
• Crabby Dicks of Delaware CityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal restaurant sponsor for events.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Preservation Delaware, Inc. Statewide Delaware nonprofit dedicated to preservation of Delaware's architectural heritage and historic settings. It is a directly comparable preservation-focused 501(c)(3) operating in the same state and is already a Major strategic partner of FAUCC.
• Fort Delaware State Park: Delaware state-operated historic site offering Civil War–era interpretation on Pea Patch Island. Comparable to FAUCC as a heritage site operator focused on Union troops and emancipation-era history, and an active co-programming partner on Juneteenth.
• Delaware Historical Society: Long-standing Delaware nonprofit operating a museum, library, and historic house programs with mission overlap on Delaware history and recognition of FAUCC's work. Closely comparable as a state-level historical society with education programming.
• Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc. National organization focused on African American genealogical and historical research. The Delaware chapter is a Major strategic partner providing co-sponsorship and subject-matter expertise on Juneteenth, making the parent organization a thematic and operational peer.
• Underground Railroad Coalition of Delaware: Delaware coalition supporting historical education about African American history and emancipation. Already a Minor strategic partner of FAUCC, it is a directly comparable thematic peer working on free-Black and Underground Railroad–era heritage in the same state.
• Historic Cold Spring Village: Open-air living-history museum in southern New Jersey presenting 19th-century rural life. Mirrors FAUCC's combination of a restored historic landscape, costumed interpreters, and school-group programming, making it a strong operational peer in a neighboring state.

Broad incumbents

• National Trust for Historic Preservation: The largest national preservation-focused nonprofit in the US. It serves the same preservation mission as FAUCC at a much larger scale, operates across all 50 states, and is a relevant incumbent/funder peer for grant benchmarking.

Regional players

• Pennsbury Manor: Pennsylvania state historic site operating a 17th-century manor on the Delaware River. Directly comparable as a state- or partner-operated Mid-Atlantic historic site with living-history programming for schools, although located across the state line from FAUCC.

Others

• Mt. Salem U.A.M.E. Church: Owner of the African Union Church Cemetery and Major strategic partner. As the institutional asset owner and the church body where FAUCC's President serves, it is the closest ecosystem stakeholder even though it is a religious congregation rather than a preservation nonprofit.
• Delaware Humanities: State humanities council funding humanities education in Delaware. Functions as a Major financial partner supporting FAUCC programming and operates in the same humanities-and-education funding ecosystem, making it a relevant enabling/funder peer rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/244606322289241

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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