A Walk Through History: Old City Cemetery

[Metro Jacksonville]

A Walk Through History: Old City Cemetery



Established in 1852, the Old City Cemetery on East Union Street, is one of the most overlooked and underrated historic sites in Jacksonville's urban core.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/411

[dj]

Nice photo tour.  I drive past here all the time and have always wanted to venture in for a visit.  It's sad this is cut-off from Downtown.

[I-10east]

Looks like this is definitely a grave situation. I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. IMO this cemetery actually looks a little better than some of the others I've seen in Jax.' esp. for how old it is. I could use some major landscaping, and masonry. Atleast there's no noticeable major damage to the gravestones.

[L Jones]

That's an interesting cemetery---the Merrill tombstone is great. Could be Alexander R. Merrill who, with his brother and a friend, founded Merrill-Stevens in 1887.  

[P]

OMG, I had no idea this place even existed!  This is so completely sad.

[Judy McCabe]

Shame on Jacksonville for allowing this to happen to our Pioneer Cementery. The condiction reflects the changes in our society over the years......too bad it's cut off from downtown.......but wasn't that the plan? We should always remember those that came before us.......because we are from them! :(

[Lunican]

Abandoned Cemeteries Project
News Conference planned June 14

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA (June 8, 2007) â€" The Jacksonville Community Council Inc. (JCCI) is assisting the City of Jacksonville in facilitating a new project to develop a plan for the maintenance and preservation of the many abandoned cemeteries in Duval County.

A press conference announcing the new project will be held Thursday, June 14 at 11 a.m. at the Old City Cemetery, located at the intersection of Union and Washington streets, just north of Downtown Jacksonville. The project is based on Resolution 2004-1349 sponsored by Councilwoman Gwen Yates and Councilman Art Shad that called for the creation of a “Blue Ribbon Commission” to do the following:

The City Council determined that the Commission should study the issue of abandoned and neglected unincorporated cemeteries in Jacksonville and make recommendations regarding cemetery maintenance and record keeping. The basis for this determination is that there are more than 120 separate cemeteries in Duval County in size from one grave to 60,000 graves; a significant number of unincorporated cemeteries have not been maintained; a number of these cemeteries show no owner of record; and some family members are having a difficult time finding markers and graves for their loved ones.

Therefore the City Council determined that the issue of unincorporated cemeteries, their maintenance and record keeping is of great concern to the citizens of Jacksonville.

City Council President Michael Corrigan has appointed a nine-member Blue Ribbon Commission to serve as the Task Force for the project. Appointed are: Joel McEachin from the City’s Planning and Development Department; Brenda Ezell, a member of the Jacksonville Bar Association with real estate and foreclosure experience;  Marion Graham, a representative of the licensed funeral home/mortician industry; Richard Mueller a licensed cemetery operator; Hazel Mack representing a small faith based cemetery; Jon Ferguson, Emily Lisska, and Louise Warren, three at-large citizens with an interest in abandoned cemeteries;  and Jerry Spinks from the Jacksonville Historical Society, who will serve as Chairman of the Blue Ribbon Commission.

The Blue Ribbon Commission will begin its research for the project this summer starting with a general public hearing in City Hall during July. The Commission and local interested citizens will hold a series of meetings to address the issue starting in September. Completion of the project and its presentation to the community is anticipated in December.

Jacksonville Community Council Inc. (JCCI) is a nonprofit civic organization that seeks to improve the quality of life in Northeast Florida. Since 1975, JCCI has convened diverse groups of citizens each year to identify significant community issues for in-depth study. Its goal is to increase public awareness and promote positive action. JCCI’s study process and indicator reports have served as models for hundreds of communities around the world.  For more information, visit the JCCI web site at www.jcci.org.

[dkclmn]

Cleanup is in progress.  I've noticed (over the past couple of months) that the trash is being picked up in the cemetery on a regular basis, but warning to those with a weak stomach - the smell of human excrement and urine can be quite strong on hot days.  In my opinion, that's almost worse than the vandalism this poor cemetery has endured over the years.  Kudos to the JCCI (a fab group) to take this issue under their wing.

[johns_md]

My grandfather is buried at Mount Olive Cemetery. He passed away in July 1979. Mount Olive Cemetery is listed a local landmark and is being 'cleaned up'. I think the efforts are commendable.  I am looking for anyone who may have information as to where he is buried. The only family member who knew the location is now deceased. At the time of his death my family could not afford a headstone so he is one of the many lost but not forgotten.

[Coolyfett]

I think I brought up old gravesites on another thread one time. I know this Cemetery though. It was featured in the "Insane in the Brain" movie.

Here is the link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1112697/

They shot like a third of the movie in the cemetery. Its kinda funny too.

[Coolyfett]

Here is the Amazon link to the movie.
http://www.amazon.com/Insane-Brain-Chad-Hendricks/dp/B000T9FUYS/ref=pd_bbs_sr_5?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1213676125&sr=8-5

[urbanlibertarian]

Several of the graves there were moved there from the small cemetery that once existed north of the St. John's Episcopal Cathedral.  Well, at least the grave markers were moved.  Human skeletons were discovered during the excavation prior to the building of Parks at the Cathedral.

[thelakelander]

Humm.... So we have a poltergeist scenerio right here in Downtown Jacksonville?  Maybe we should have our own ghost walk tours.

[urbanlibertarian]

I believe they used to have something like that a few years ago operating out of the Landing.

[leahfu]

makes me think of the cemetery on moncrief. you start out with a noticable cemetery and as you drive down it gets more delipitated until you end up with tombstones in the woods