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Historic East Tampa Cemetery Maintenance Taken Over by City

Date Posted: 01/19/2022
Category:

The city of Tampa announced it is taking over the maintenance of the Memorial Park Cemetery in East Tampa.
Patch, D'Ann Lawrence White, Patch Staff | Posted Wed, Jan 19, 2022, at 3:09 pm ET

A sign that reads Memorial Park Cemetery.
At the Memorial Park Cemetery, 2225 E Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., the city will begin by trimming the tree canopy and replacing dilapidated fencing. (Susan Royal Jones/Florida Genealogical Society Tampa) 

Memorial Park Cemetery graves.
Memorial Park Cemetery was abandoned and the graves neglected. (City of Tampa) 

TAMPA, FL - In its ongoing efforts to protect historic burial grounds that have been forgotten or abandoned, the city of Tampa announced it is taking over the maintenance of the Memorial Park Cemetery in East Tampa.

"Protecting forgotten, abandoned or vulnerable cemeteries is the right thing to do," Mayor Jane Castor said in a news conference. "This is a high priority in our history, and it should be respected and honored appropriately."

She said the city is committing time, money, and manpower to protect these cemeteries. At the Memorial Park Cemetery, 2225 E Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., the city will begin by trimming the tree canopy and replacing dilapidated fencing.

"This particular cemetery was abandoned," Castor said. "So, the city took it over and ensured that it is kept in a manner that reflects that respect we have for everyone who is buried here."

When a number of historic, mostly-Black cemeteries were discovered in Tampa, either forgotten or developed with building constructed over graves, Castor asked her team, led by Ocea Wynn, city of Tampa administrator of neighborhood and community affairs, to establish a task force to address the issue of abandoned burial sites.

"The steps we are taking are not going to right past wrongs, but what they are going to do is ensure that we do not have lost or abandoned cemeteries in the future," Castor said. "This problem will not occur from this point forward."

In the year since establishing the task force, Wynn said the city has made a lot of progress, including tackling the problem from several fronts.

Tampa staff recently helped the Zion Preservation and Maintenance Society become a nonprofit entity. The city of Tampa also contributed $50,000 toward a memorial, completed a work plan to receive state funding and applied for multiple grants for the society.

Individuals speaking at a podium while standing outside.
"The steps we are taking are not going to right past wrongs, but what they are going to do is ensure that we do not have lost or abandoned cemeteries in the future," Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said. (City of Tampa) 

A large tree overlooking the cemetery.
The dity of Tampa announced it is taking over the maintenance of the Memorial Park Cemetery in East Tampa. (City of Tampa) 

City staff has been attending the Zion Preservation and Maintenance Society meetings since its inception two years ago as well as meetings with the Tampa Housing Authority, NAACP, and other community leaders about Zion, Memorial Cemetery, College Hill and Showmen's Rest cemeteries.

The city also worked with Tampa City Council members to change the land use category of all but one city-owned cemetery to "park lands and open space" to further protect them by restricting development. City staff is currently working on the land use change for the last cemetery, Jackson Heights.

Additionally, Castor's staff is working with the Hillsborough Planning Commission and Tampa City Council to create a new land-use category just for cemeteries for additional protection.

At the mayor's request, the Tampa Development and Growth Management Administration sent a letter to the Hillsborough County Planning Commission, acknowledging the county's recommendations and asking to see expanded policies that include:

  • Additional protection for city-owned cemeteries, including potential preservation, protection and potential national/local landmark designation.
  • Policies to address if new lands are discovered and measures to ensure the respect of remains

Memorial Park Cemetery

Memorial Park Cemetery is one of the burial grounds where the city has dedicated significant resources to improve the site since the death of the property owner two years ago.

More than a century ago, Memorial Park was established as a burial place for African American veterans of the world wars, and many of the soldiers who died in France were laid to rest there.

The city cannot touch headstones or graves because they are considered private property. However, city staff have filled depressions with dirt and cleared plant growth, helping protect, maintain and restore the burial sites.

"These historic cemeteries are a visible record of Tampa's unique history," Wynn said. "We are proud to work with community partners in not only maintaining them but protecting them from encroachment and development. Their historical importance is to be celebrated."

Other cemeteries owned by and maintained by the city include:

  • Woodlawn Cemetery
  • Oaklawn Cemetery
  • Jackson Heights Cemetery
  • Marti-Colon Cemetery (Colon section is privately owned)
  • Centro Austuriano Cemetery

Cemeteries Not Owned By Tampa

  • Colon section of Marti-Colon Cemetery
  • Memorial Park Cemetery (The city is maintaining)
  • Showmen's Rest (adjacent to Woodlawn)
  • Schaarai Zedek (adjacent to Woodlawn)
  • Rodeph Sholom (adjacent to Woodlawn)
  • Pyramid Crypts (adjacent to Woodlawn)
  • Beth Israel (adjacent to Woodlawn)