Huguenot Cemetery

The cemetery in 2011

The Huguenot Cemetery in St. Augustine, Florida located across from the historic City Gate was a Protestant burial ground between the years 1821 and 1884. The Spanish colonial city of St. Augustine, along with the entire Florida Territory became defacto American possessions after the 1819 signing of the Adams-Onis Treaty. The actual physical occupation of the city and Florida territory occurred in 1821.

Prior to American occupation the Spanish city of St. Augustine was predominately Catholic and the only burial ground within the city, the Tolomato cemetery, was reserved for Catholics. Recognizing a need for a formal Protestant burial ground an area just outside the city gate was chosen by the new American administration in St. Augustine. The first burials occurred in 1821 just prior to a yellow fever epidemic which claimed the lives of a large numbers of the city's inhabitants.

The cemetery until title to the cemetery property was acquired by the Rev. Thomas Alexander, who then turned over it to the Presbyterian Church in 1832, burials continued until 1884 when both Huguenot and Tolomato cemeteries were closed. The cemetery is believed to hold at least 436 burials according to city records. The cemetery although named "Huguenot Cemetery" isn't believed to contain any members of the Huguenots, a French Protestant sect started in the 16th century in France.[1][2]

Tomb locations-inscriptions

Huguenot Cemetery

INSCRIPTIONS IN THE OLD PROTESTANT GRAVEYARD AT ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA. Vol. XLVII (1893), Page 300 Communicated by B. Frank Leeds, Esq.

This graveyard is just without the old north gate of the town. It has for its southern boundary the town ditch or moat, eastwardly the shell road, a continuation of George St. northward, and north and west the grounds of the large (Saint) San Marco Hotel. Two lots outside (west side of its north-west corner) of the nearly square area of the yard proper are burial lots (one or both) for Jews, but containing no inscribed stones. The fence of the graveyard proper is of posts and boards the entrance gate on its east side being mainly of wrought iron and upheld by cement posts.

A hedge, additionally, of low cedars runs along and inside its east line. Scattered about within are various planted trees, the cedar predominating, some of which are hereafter mentioned as occurring close to graves. The yard and its contents are in very fair condition, though I am told without a care taken. The list following, of the occupants of graves covered with inscribed stones, is complete. I have also noticed the graves indicated by fencing, or uninscribed boards, or stones, whenever such occur.

The rows are somewhat irregular - being out of a straight line so that they allow of the insertion of half rows. A good many of the graves are without monuments, some of which must contain several bodies, if one may guess from the quite long list of interments between 1877 and 1884. During the latter year, the yard was finally closed as a place of interment. The previous list, or lists, of burials, I am told by Mr. G. T. Bunting, a resident of the town, was, or were, destroyed during the war.

Many colored people, their graves unmarked with an exception or two, lie in this yard. Since this yard was closed Protestants have buried in the cemetery on the outskirts of New, or West, St. Augustine. The old Catholic cemetery on Cordova St. within the ancient town lines is perhaps about the size of the old Protestant yard, but how it can contain the dead of 300 years, almost or quite, without placing them from 2 to 10 deep, I can hardly see. The new Catholic cemetery is outside the old gate, some distance, and to the east of the shell road. Near the Army Barracks (on St. Francis St.), south end of town, and connected therewith, a walled graveyard holds the victims of the Dade massacre, and a number of soldiers that have died at this post. An old graveyard, supposed to have been used by the Indians, perhaps those converted by the Catholic missionaries, is now covered by the Lynn House, south side of the Plaza. This ran out into the street, bounding the plaza on the south side. In making the following list I began copying at the south end of the rows and worked northwardly. The commencement of Row 1 is in the yard's south-east corner. The work of copying was done early spring, 1892, and was reviewed February, 1893. B. Frank Leeds. St. Augustine, Fla.

Thomas H. Dummett

North of this line of graves and southeast of the Douglas Pacetti grave are the two following: Single grave with cement curb and head and footboard but no inscription - an evergreen enonymus with curbing. A grave with palings around in very shaky condition - no mark. Directly adjoining above north -

North of and directly adjoining the above a mound, and adjoining this mound northwardly another and shorter - Neither marked. As the Thomas grave and these two are so close together, the interred may be related. These succeed, through some distance - 10 feet north - from the two children's graves mentioned above on this page.

A vertical marble slab. This stone of same height as the above, but outline at top different. They however seem to belong together. Louisa Charlotte Izard, daut of Ralph and Elizabeth Izard, of South Carolina, who died on the 22d of January, 1825, etatis 31. Vertical marble slab on raised brick foundation.

A marble horizontal slab on raised marble faced foundation. Lot enclosed with iron fence. Mrs. _________, 1841. A bit of stone with this inscription. In a lot with cement (over coquina) curbing level with the ground without it.

The above, each covered with horizontal marble slab on raised cement foundation, differ only in length. The middle slab is quite a foot longer than the other two. A low coquina curb around the three.

Grave not marked during Leed's 1893 survey:

View of St. Augustine (1891) from the former San Marco Hotel, Spanish St. on left, Huguenot Cemetery lower left corner, Cordova St on right looking toward Ponce de Leon Hotel

References

  1. ↑ St. Augustine and St. Johns County: A Historical Guide by William R. Adams P. 20
  2. ↑ A Guide to Historic St. Augustine, Florida by Steve Rajtar, Kelly Goodman Page 31
  3. ↑ Public documents of Massachusetts, Issue 7 By Massachusetts p. 802
  4. ↑ Reports of committees: 30th Congress, 1st session - 48th Congress, 2nd session By United States. Congress. Senate p. 474)
  5. ↑ Hectorina Kennedy Honfleur Ancestry.com

Coordinates: 29°53′53.5″N 81°18′50.5″W / 29.898194°N 81.314028°W / 29.898194; -81.314028

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