Cemetery a Day in May: Old City (Duval County)

Cemetery Log Date: May 6, 2013






Old City Cemetery is located just north of city center in downtown Jacksonville.  I was first introduced to this gem by Shannon Palmer who raised a lot of awareness and dedicated many hours to saving the site.  What I recall as the most fascinating on initial visits was the headstones featuring tiles, something Ive seen often at Caribbean sites.   





Who: Managed by City of Jacksonville
What: Large active cemetery featuring famous figures and cultural diversity
Where: On East Union between Washington and Cemetery Street, Jacksonville  Link to Google Map
When:  Open dusk till dawn 365 days a year
 Why: 
  •  Established in 1852, oldest headstone 1872
  • Oldest Jewish cemetery in East Florida
  • 15th Florida Governor, Francis Philip Fleming, also a confederate soldier
  • Historic African-American burials, including Princess Laura Adorkor “Mother Kofi” – A Ghana native and founder of “The African Universal Church and Commercial League” who was assassinated on the pulpit in 1928
  • Significant military burials throughout the cemetery











For more information:
Find a Grave: Old City
Destination: Civil War (FPAN)
Examiner: Photos at Old City Cemetery

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