African Cemetery No. 2 is the earliest recorded cemetery in Lexington to be organized, owned, and managed by African Americans. The site has existed since 1869, and the trustees of Benevolent Society No. 2 successfully operated it. Many people buried there were important leaders in the community, including leaders of Ladies Auxiliary Society No. 2, Colored People's Union Benevolent Society No. 1, Lexington A and M Fair of Colored People, Colored Orphan Industrial Home, the horse-racing industry, early public schools for African Americans, and efforts toward social and economic advancement after the Civil War. Members of the U.S. Colored Troops are also buried there.