St. John's Historic Cemetery - Pensacola, FL
Posted by: 
hoteltwo
N 30° 24.978 W 087° 13.959
16R E 477655 N 3364939
Located on North G St. at W. Belmont St., the marker notes the long history of the cemetery and great diversity of the those interred. The public cemetery is still in use today.
Waymark Code: WM106TH
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 03/09/2019
Views: 4
Established in 1876, St. John's Cemetery contains the largest and most diverse number of gravestones and monuments in northwest Florida. Annually, there are memorials and picnics to celebrate and to remember those buried within. A comprehensive list of the burials, is available online. The cemetery is open to the public all year long.
Marker text:
After the Civil War, Pensacola's population grew rapidly. As new residents flocked to the city, its burial capacity became inadequate. Other pre-existing cemeteries were affiliated with specific religious denominations, making it difficult for those of different faiths to find burial plots. Originally located outside the city, members of Escambia Lodge, No. 15, Free & Accepted Masons established this 26-acre cemetery in 1876 with the goal of creating a public burial space without restrictions based on religion, race. or social class. The lodge's members made up the original board of trustees. They sold grave plots to individuals, families, and organizations, not for financial gain, but to pay off the lands mortgage and for its maintenance. In 1876, Martha Eleanor Screven Frierson was interred here, the first recorded burial. Since then, thousands have been interred, including mayors, soldiers, sailors, and teachers. In 1908, a Spanish Mission style gate house was constructed, consisting of a chapel, storage area, and restroom. St. Johns remains one of Pensacola's oldest and most diverse cemeteries. It features an eclectic mixture of funerary architecture, and is regarded as an "outdoor museum."
A Florida Heritage Site
Marker Number: F-995
Date: 2018
County: Escambia
Marker Type: City
Sponsored or placed by: St. John's Cemetery, Inc., and the Florida Department of State.
Website: [Web Link]
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