Cemetery a Day in May: Old St. Joseph's (Duval)

Cemetery Log Date: May 20, 2013

Notice anything?  Same stone...two sides!  Two different names and dates.

Now for a St. Joseph's of a different sort, we head up to Jacksonville to check in on another early Catholic cemetery.  Old St. Joseph's Cemetery is generally considered abandoned, but recently gracious stewards (Friend's of St. Joseph's) have come forward to clean and document this cemetery.

Who:  Owned by Catholic Diocese, maintained by Friends of St. Joseph's

What: Variety of 500+ headstones and monuments
Where:  One block north of Union Street between Cemetery and Ionia Streets in Jacksonville map

When:  Dusk to dawn, but use caution in high crime area

 Why:

• One of the oldest Catholic cemeteries, earliest known burial 1827
• Look for two-sided headstone- two people at different times of death= one stone
• Diverse population, originally divided into religion, fraternal membership, race and military sections
•  DO NOT confuse it with the later St. Joseph's across town associated with St. Joseph's church.  This one actually predates the one in Mandarin, hence the moniker "Old" St. Joseph's

Jo Anne Orren gives history of cemetery, UNF professor Gordon Rakita listens in.

CRPT class of April 2012, including Marlene Muzii and Jo Anne Orren (Friends of St. Joseph's).

Graffiti of incised lines.  Anyone recognize this as a symbol?

For more:

Jacksonville's Old City Cemetery Vandalized (article on St. Joseph's)

Find a Grave: Old St. Joseph's Church Cemetery
Recent article on GPR at Old City by UNF students


Text and images: Sarah Miller, FPAN staff.

For previous posts search: Cemetery a Day in May or #CaDiM

Intro, May 1: National, May 2: Oakdale, May 3: Murphy's Creek, May 4: Mt. Olive, May 5: Bosque Bello, May 6: Old City, May 7: Espanola, May 8: Tolomato, May 9: Pacetti, May 10: West View, May 11: Magnolia Springs,  May 12: St. Peter's, May 13: Gravely Hill, May 14: Pilgrim's Rest, May 15: God's Little Acre, May 16: Dummet's Grave, May 17: No Name, May 18: St. Monica, May 19: St. Joseph's, May 20:  Old St. Joseph's (Duval)

Cemetery a Day in May: St. Joseph's (Putnam)

Cemetery Log Date: May 19, 2013

We're saddened to learn today about the passing of James Townsend, steward of St. Joseph Cemetery in Palatka.  A long time volunteer of Keep Putnam Beautiful, it was Jim who first introduced us after our Palatka CRPT to St. Joseph's.  This predominantly African-American cemetery is abandoned and needed every bit of love the volunteers could give it.  In a strange twist of CaDiM fate, he is buried in the cemetery we highlighted yesterday: St. Monica.  

 

In honor of Jim, we're posting a slew of photos.  Would be very appropriate to organize a clean up day in his honor- who's with us?

St. Joseph's (aka Mt. Pleasant) is located directly across the street from the city-owned Oakhill cemetery.   Previous blog post: Not much is written about the cemetery, but headstones indicate the first internments were made in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.  The cemetery is not claimed by the city, or the county, or any private entity; by definition it is an abandoned cemetery.  Looking around St. Joseph's that title is at times hard to believe.  Jim and others from the community spent a lot of time clearing and caring for St. Joseph's.  While not every effort has paid off, I was really impressed by Jim's patience with the process of keeping up a cemetery for the long haul, and by his dedication.  St. Joseph's is known as a predominately African American cemetery within the community.  Jim has no kin buried there, which to me makes his dedication to the cemetery that much more impressive.

 

Who:  Abandoned

What: Above ground vault with remains of mortar plastered over coquina blocks
Where:  Corner of Crill (Hwy 20) and Palm Avenue in Palatka

When:  Dusk to dawn, but please be respectful of neighbors and visit only in small groups

 Why:

• Endless ground to discover headstones lost to overgrowth
• Incised cement markers
• inset tile and glass in vernacular headstones

 

Frighteningly close to the road with little protection from vandals.

AND STILL MORE...

 

For more:

Obituary for James Townsend

St. Augustine Genealogical Society: St. Joseph's, Palatka

Putnam County Cemeteries: St. Joe

Text and images: Sarah Miller, FPAN staff.

Cemetery a Day in May: St. Monica (Putnam County)

Robbie and I were at a cemetery event in Palatka in October when someone told us about this headstone, written in Gaelic.  We dropped what we were doing, jumped in the car, and ran right over to St. Monica's (behind Westview) in search of this stone.  A great little article by Brian Michaels can be found on the Palatka Cemetery's webpage that describes the genealogical puzzle behind this headstone. 

St. Monica's is the Catholic cemetery that shares a fence line with West View.  There is no FMSF entry (yet) but looking at Putnam County Cemetery page, it looks like the cemetery was used at the turn of the century. The cemetery is still open to internments.

Who: Owned by Catholic Diocese, St. Monica Catholic Church

What: Small Catholic cemetery, still in use
Where:  Corner of Osceola and Kirby in Palatka, link to Google Map

When:  Contact St. Monica Catholic church, street entrance on Osceola Street

 Why:

• Gaelic headstone
• Headless angels
• Amethyst glass pressed into concrete curbing

 

For more:

Putnam County Cemeteries: St. Monica's Catholic Church

Saint Monica Catholic Church

Text and images: Sarah Miller, FPAN staff.

For previous posts search: Cemetery a Day in May or #CaDiM
Intro, May 1: National, May 2: Oakdale, May 3: Murphy's Creek, May 4: Mt. Olive, May 5: Bosque Bello, May 6: Old City, May 7: Espanola, May 8: Tolomato, May 9: Pacetti, May 10: West View, May 11: Magnolia Springs,  May 12: St. Peter's, May 13: Gravely Hill, May 14: Pilgrim's Rest, May 15: God's Little Acre, May 16: Dummet's Grave, May 17: No Name, May 18: St. Monica

Cemetery a Day in May: No Name (Alachua County)

Cemetery Log Date: May 17, 2013

We received a call a few years ago about cemeteries located on St. Johns River Water Management District land, straddling both Putnam and Alachua counties.  The cemetery featured today is so rural (how rural is it?!?) that there is no street to it, just a fire break line.  The closest town would be Newberry, although they have their own historic cemetery in town.  According to the FMSF, earliest burials in Newberry date to the 1890s, so very likely this is a family or community cemetery used before the more formal one was established.

Who: Managed by St. Johns River Water Management District

What: Approximately 20 headstones scattered in the woods
Where:  Several miles from Newberry, in the forest along fire break lines

When:  If interested, contact me and I'll see what I can do to get you access

 Why:

• Typical field archaeologist project- identify and record cemetery on state land
• My first ever makers mark found on a headstone in the wild
• Some of the most unique punctuation and spelling errors, excellent examples of why to do verbatim transcriptions of these primary resources

What should we name it?

Text and images: Sarah Miller, FPAN staff.  February 2012

For previous posts search: Cemetery a Day in May or #CaDiM
Intro, May 1: National, May 2: Oakdale, May 3: Murphy's Creek, May 4: Mt. Olive, May 5: Bosque Bello, May 6: Old City, May 7: Espanola, May 8: Tolomato, May 9: Pacetti, May 10: West View, May 11: Magnolia Springs,  May 12: St. Peter's, May 13: Gravely Hill, May 14: Pilgrim's Rest, May 15: God's Little Acre, May 16: Dummet's Grave, May 17: No Name

Cemetery a Day in May: Dummett's Grave (Volusia County)

Cemetery Log Date: May 16, 2013

Dummett's Grave is a solitary burial in the middle of a residential road in New Smyrna Beach. Charles Dummett was only 16 when he died tragically in a hunting accident back in 1860.  The young Dummett was home visiting from school up in the north.  According to a newspaper article (Kleinberg 1993) he tripped and his gun discharged.  Originally buried in remote glen or forest, the area developed into a neighborhood. 

Who: Maintained by local garden club, jurisdiction of the city of New Smyrna Beach

What: Above ground vault with remains of mortar plastered over coquina blocks
Where:  Middle of Canova Drive, east of Intracoastal Waterway in New Smyrna Beach

When:  Dusk to dawn, but please be respectful of neighbors and visit only in small groups

 Why:

• Above ground vault with remains of mortar plastered over coquina blocks.
• Said to be over a large prehistoric midden, visible on the southern end of the block.
• Shell midden said to be originally at the same height as the top of the vault.
• Inscription: SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF CHARLES DUMMETT, BORN AUG3 18, 1844 DIED APRIL 23, 1860"

Grave among the trees in the middle of the road.

City recently requested proposals to repaid damaged marble.

For more:

Dummet's Grave photo album on FPAN-NE Facebook page
Weird Florida: Sarcophagus in the middle of the street 
Find a Grave: Charles Dummett

Text and images: Sarah Miller, FPAN staff.

For previous posts search: Cemetery a Day in May or #CaDiM
Intro, May 1: National, May 2: Oakdale, May 3: Murphy's Creek, May 4: Mt. Olive, May 5: Bosque Bello, May 6: Old City, May 7: Espanola, May 8: Tolomato, May 9: Pacetti, May 10: West View, May 11: Magnolia Springs,  May 12: St. Peter's, May 13: Gravely Hill, May 14: Pilgrim's Rest, May 15: God's Little Acre, May 16: Dummet's Grave

Cemetery a Day in May: God's Little Acre

Cemetery Log Date: May 15, 2013

God's Little Acre is a cemetery that goes by many names, including Wildwood Cemetery and Moultrie Churchyard.  The cemetery began as a Methodist churchyard surrounding a small frame church built in 1877.  The grave markers show the changing popularity of funerary materials over a time period of one hundred years, from conch shells and wood to marble and granite.

Who: Maintained by Hagen Wildwood Restoration Association

What: Fenced historic cemetery with variety of markers and monuments
Where:  480 Wildwood Drive, St. Augustine, link to Google Map

When:  Contact Preservation Association for access into gate or join a clean-up day (see below)

 Why:

•   Clasped hands on headstones to reaffirm the message of hope of being together again.
• Gates on headstones thought to symbolize entry into heaven.
• Lamb headstones, popular design on children's gave stones in the 19th and 20th centuries as a sybol of innocence.
• Simple hearts carved into marble and concrete, a 19th century symbol of the soul and source of love.

For more:

Moultire Church and Churchyard Facebook page

Text and images: Sarah Miller, FPAN staff.

For previous posts search: Cemetery a Day in May or #CaDiM
Intro, May 1: National, May 2: Oakdale, May 3: Murphy's Creek, May 4: Mt. Olive, May 5: Bosque Bello, May 6: Old City, May 7: Espanola, May 8: Tolomato, May 9: Pacetti, May 10: West View, May 11: Magnolia Springs,  May 12: St. Peter's, May 13: Gravely Hill, May 14: Pilgrim's Rest, May 15: God's Little Acre