Newtown Cemetery

{{Short description|Historic African American cemetery in Harrisonburg, Virginia, US}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = Newtown Cemetery

| nrhp_type =

| image = Newtown Cemetery in Harrisonburg.jpg

| caption = Western section of the cemetery

| location= Roughly bounded by Kelley, Hill, Sterling, and Gay Sts., Harrisonburg, Virginia

| coordinates = {{coord|38|27|12|N|78|51|31|W|source:GNIS|display=inline,title}}

| locmapin = Virginia#USA

| built = {{Start date|1869}}

| architect =

| architecture =

| added = February 17, 2015

| area = {{convert|3.9|acre}}

| refnum = 15000014{{NRISref|version=2010a}}

}}

Newtown Cemetery is a historic cemetery in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It is located in the northern part of the city, bounded on the north by Kelley Street and the west by Sterling Street. It is bisected by an extension of Effinger Street, which now serves as part of the cemetery's circulation roads. The roughly {{convert|4|acre|ha|adj=on}} parcel has been the primary burial ground for the city's African-American dead since its founding in 1869. It is estimated to hold 900 graves, including many of emancipated slaves.{{cite web|url=https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/VLR_to_transfer/PDFNoms/115-5129_NewtownCemetery_2014_NRHP_FINAL.pdf|title=NRHP nomination for Newtown Cemetery|publisher=Virginia DHR|access-date=2015-09-17}} Notable burials include educator Lucy F. Simms and veterans of the US Colored Troops.{{cite web |title=The Life of Lucy F. Simms |url=https://omeka.lib.jmu.edu/simms/exhibits/show/simms-exhibition/life-of-simms |website=Celebrating Simms: story of the Lucy F. Simms School |publisher=James Madison University and Shenandoah Black Heritage |access-date=26 September 2021}}

The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.