Maryland Returns Historic Cemetery Land to Descendants of Morningstar Tabernacle No. 88
CABIN JOHN, Md. — October 30, 2025 — In a landmark action six decades in the making, the Maryland Board of Public Works has approved the return of cemetery land to the descendants of Morningstar Tabernacle No. 88 in Cabin John, Maryland.
The action, approved on October 22, returns a portion of Maryland state highway land along the I-495 Capital Beltway right-of-way to the Morningstar Tabernacle No. 88 Moses Cemetery and Hall, long recognized as sacred ground for generations of African American families in the region. Once taken by eminent domain in the early 1960s for construction of the Capital Beltway, the restored parcel—less than a quarter-acre—may hold as many as 26 unmarked graves of those buried at Morningstar Moses Cemetery.
“This important action by the state of Maryland not only helps restore sacred land historically connected to the cemetery but also affirms the cultural and ancestral significance of Morningstar’s legacy,” said Shannon Steward, descendant and Friends of Moses Hall board member.
The reconveyance follows a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey by the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA), which identified multiple probable burial sites within state-owned land adjacent to the historic cemetery. At the urging of Friends of Moses Hall, SHA committed to transferring any unused right-of-way containing graves back to the cemetery’s trustees.
Several organizations—including Friends of Moses Hall, the Coalition to Protect Maryland Burial Sites, and the Maryland Sierra Club—submitted letters of support to the Board of Public Works. These letters are now part of the public record, ensuring the community’s advocacy and the site’s historical significance are preserved for future generations.
The history of this property dates back to 1880, when a formerly enslaved couple, Robert and Sarah Gibson, purchased land along what is now Seven Locks Road in Cabin John. Over the next decade, nine other African American families joined them, forming a self-sufficient settlement first known as Gibson Grove (later No. 10). These families built a supportive community rooted in faith, mutual care, and education.
In 1882, they opened the first school for Black children in the district. Three years later, they founded Morningstar Tabernacle No. 88 of the Ancient United Order of Sons & Daughters, Brothers & Sisters of Moses, a benevolent society that provided financial support to those in need, burial assistance, and community fellowship. The society’s two-story building, known as Moses Hall, and the adjacent cemetery became the heart of community life. In 1898, the Gibson Grove AME Zion Church was established on nearby land donated by Sarah Gibson.
The stone foundation is all that is left of Moses Hall and there are very few headstones visible in the cemetery today. But the land holds the graves of community founders, including Sarah Gibson, and Emma Jones, a respected midwife and longtime housekeeper for Clara Barton in Glen Echo. By combing death notices in old newspapers and other extensive research, Friends of Moses Hall has so far identified 131 men, women and children who were buried in the cemetery between the 1880s and the 1970s. The two GPR surveys conducted by SHA in 2021 and 2023 found the likelihood of hundreds more resting across both the cemetery property and portions of the land surrounding it.
Today, Friends of Moses Hall, a nonprofit formed in 2023, continues this legacy by working to preserve, protect, and promote the historic Morningstar Tabernacle No. 88 Moses Cemetery and Hall site. The organization leads ongoing efforts to stabilize and restore the landscape, document burial locations, and educate the public about this once-vibrant African American community.
“This reconveyance represents an important victory: a recognition of history long overlooked and a step toward preserving it for generations to come,” said Friends of Moses Hall board president Alexandra Jones, PhD, RPA.
For more information, visit www.friendsofmoseshall.org or follow Friends of Moses Hall on social media.