Originally serving Union Church, a non-denominational chapel constructed by the City of Suffolk that offered segregated services to whites and African Americans, Cedar Hill Cemetery was established in 1802 as a public cemetery. Initially the area around the chapel was used as a communal burying ground for whites, blacks, and Indians. The chapel was removed in 1872 and the cemetery expanded to its current 25 acres by 1910. Graves within the cemetery, which include those of many prominent Suffolk citizens, reveal varying types of mausoleums, tombstones, and tombs from the 19th and 20th centuries. The cemetery continues today as a burying ground.