Southern Connecticut State University students, staff, and community members recently gathered at historic Westville Cemetery to clean and preserve the headstones of Black Civil War veterans, including soldiers from the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Regiment.
The service effort, hosted by Southern’s Veterans’ Office and the Department of History, brought hands-on historical preservation into the community, restoring names and dates that had become difficult to read over time. The work is considered an extension of experiential learning tied to History Professor Jason Smith’s “Digital New Haven” course, which encourages students to engage directly with local history.
“I hope that it gives people a sense of the cost of war and the tolls of war,” Smith said. “This is a concrete way for people to engage, remember and do something productive that makes people feel good.”
For students, the project offered a meaningful way to honor veterans while connecting with New Haven’s past. Volunteers worked in small groups to gently clean headstones, revealing the stories of soldiers whose service had long been forgotten.
Read more and view additional photos in Southern News’ coverage: Students honor Black Civil War veterans
