Founded in the second half of the nineteenth century, the cemetery is the resting place for generations of local African American families, including dozens of Black veterans of the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and the Korean War, as well as the founding families of the Elizabeth City State Normal School (now Elizabeth City State University), including Hugh Cale, Peter and Symera Moore, and the John Henry Bias family. Of particular interest is a row of nineteenth-century military grave sites on the north side of the property, which includes a number of soldiers from the United States Colored Troops (USCT).

In 2021, Elizabeth City State University and the Museum of the Albemarle partnered with the NC African American Heritage Commission (NC AAHC) and the Office of State Archaeology (OSA) to teach preservation techniques focused on Elizabeth City African American cemeteries. At Old Oak Grove Cemetery, techniques and best practices were shared with current ESCU history students on how to photograph and survey the grounds. Proper cleaning methods of gravestones were demonstrated and the ECSU students and professors cleaned six historic markers. These headstones memorialized Civil War veterans who were enlisted in the United States Colored Troops (USCT) Heavy Artillery Regiment.

To learn more about the United States Colored Troops and "Wild's Raid" in 1863 Elizabeth City, click here.

Cemetery Hours of Operation: Year-round. The cemetery is maintained by the Elizabeth City Department of Parks and Recreation and is open from dawn to dusk. Street parking is available. Please be respectful of these hallowed grounds.