The Names on the Forgotten Stones
Just outside the City Gate, a small burial ground opened in 1821, the year Florida became U.S. territory and yellow fever swept through town. Every stone holds a real story. Documented history
A cemetery is the most honest history book in any city. It just speaks very quietly.
When Spain transferred Florida to the United States in 1821, St. Augustine's burial grounds were Catholic. Newcomers who were Protestant needed somewhere to bury their dead, and they needed it urgently: that same year, yellow fever struck the town.
The small cemetery just north of the City Gate served as a Protestant public burial ground from 1821 until 1884. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
How to read a stone
Old grave markers tell you more than names. Dates show epidemics and hard years. Birthplaces show who moved to Florida and from where. Symbols such as urns, willows and hands carved in stone show what families hoped and believed.
A respectful mystery
You will hear ghost stories about many St. Augustine cemeteries. We don't invent hauntings for real people. The more interesting mystery is the true one: who were they, and why did they come here?
Your mission
Viewing quietly from the sidewalk, find the oldest date you can read. Then ask: what was happening in St. Augustine that year?
Plan it
Some links are affiliate links; we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Historical basis: Florida Department of State, Huguenot Cemetery National Register listing; Memorial Presbyterian Church. See all sources.