O’Rorke Cemetery
O’Rorke-Catholic Cemetery, at just under one acre, was established by a Catholic church benefactor in 1858 by John O’Rorke, is sometimes called the Catholic Cemetery or potter’s field. It is located on Pender Street. This cemetery achieved local historic designation when it was placed on the Raleigh Register of Historic Places in 2010.
Database Introduction
This database is intended to be the definitive reference source for burials in O’Rorke Cemetery. O’Rorke has been known by a variety of names (primarily “Catholic Cemetery,” “Sacred Heart Cemetery” and as a Potter’s Field) since its establishment in 1858. It represents the combination of the following works:
— Physical survey of cemetery in 1940 and 1996, noting markers
— Wake Treasures, Vol VI, No. 1, Winter/Spring 1996, pp. 74, compiled by Harriette H.Riggs
— Parish Register for Sacred Heart, Raleigh, NC (1839-1931), compiled by Charles P. Blunt
— US Census and Mortality Records
— Death Certificates of Wake County
This database will be periodically updated as new information is gathered. There are many institutional records yet to be reviewed that will provide a continuous source of new information.
Should you have information to provide to the database, we would be delighted to receive it. Please include the source of the information so it will be populated with verified information. Send to: jthurman@rccpreservation.org.
A special thanks to Charles P. Blunt for his research on O’Rorke-Catholic Cemetery.
Links
O’Rorke Catholic Cemetery List
O’Rorke Catholic Cemetery Walking Tour Map
O’Rorke Catholic Cemetery Audio Walking Tour
O’ Rorke Catholic Cemetery Inventory
O’ Rorke Landmark Application Report
