Join City of Camden Historic Preservation Specialist Dolly Marshall for a special Black History Month presentation about the life of Memory Worker and Sexton Robert “Bob” Butt, an enslaved man who came to Philadelphia from Norfolk, Virginia, in 1859 to raise funds to purchase the freedom of his wife, children, and himself. 

As a cemetery worker, Mr. Butt was responsible for preparing the graves of over 1,159 people during the Norfolk yellow fever epidemic of 1855. Many people perished, including Northern doctors, nurses, and medical students from Philadelphia who were sent to Norfolk as first responders.

Mr. Butt personally accompanied their remains for obsequies and burial at Laurel Hill. The Yellow Fever Monument was erected at Laurel Hill East to memorialize the 15 Philadelphia volunteers who contracted and died of the yellow fever while helping in Norfolk (12 of whom are buried under the monument), but is also a remembrance of the bravery and self-sacrifice of all who volunteered to help in Norfolk — including Robert Butt.

In the words of another who knew him: “No coffin too heavy; no corpse too corrupt; no labor too crushing for Bob Butt.”

If you have time before the presentation at Laurel Hill West (215 Belmont Avenue in Bala Cynwyd), we encourage you to visit the Yellow Fever Monument at Laurel Hill East (3822 Ridge Avenue in Philadelphia). The two cemeteries are about a 10-15 minute drive from one another.

cost: PAY WHAT YOU WISH

Meet our presenter, dolly marshall:

As a native of Camden with ancestral roots stretching back to the 1840s, Ms. Marshall’s family has deep ties throughout South Jersey. Dolly Marshall serves as the city’s Historian and Historic Preservation Specialist. She bridges the gap between the past and the present through meticulous research and evocative storytelling, bringing the African American experience and the African diaspora to the forefront of local history.

Currently, Ms. Marshall leads vital community partnerships and collaborates with the New Jersey Historical Commission’s Black Heritage Trail to identify and interpret overlooked narratives across the state. Through the installation of permanent historical markers, she ensures that these essential stories remain a visible and permanent part of New Jersey’s landscape.

In her capacity as a trustee of the Mount Peace Cemetery Association in Lawnside, her tireless advocacy secured the cemetery’s recognition as a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site and its listing on the NJ Black Heritage Trail and the African American Civil Rights Network. Ms. Marshall has earned numerous accolades for her scholarship and community engagement across the region. Her public service has been recognized by prestigious organizations, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, the NJ Daughters of the American Revolution, Preservation New Jersey, the New Jersey Legislature, Rutgers University, and the United States Congress.