Preston Taylor

How this work helped shape America

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1849 to enslaved parents, Preston Taylor emerged after the Civil War as a businessman, minister and entrepreneur. After moving to Nashville, Taylor purchased thirty-seven acres of land in 1887 and established Greenwood Cemetery the following year, providing Black families with an important burial ground during an era of racial segregation. He also founded the Taylor Funeral Company in 1888, connecting cemetery development with professional undertaking services. Taylor continued expanding his business activities and later established Greenwood Recreational Park, but Greenwood Cemetery remained one of his most enduring enterprises. His development of burial property and funeral services created essential community infrastructure while demonstrating Black American ownership and entrepreneurship in an industry from which Black families often faced discrimination and exclusion.