Betton Hills in Tallahassee in Leon County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
The Plantation Cemetery At Betton Hill
Photographed By Mark Hilton, December 6, 2014
1. The Plantation Cemetery At Betton Hill Marker
Inscription.
The Plantation Cemetery At Betton Hill. . The site is all that remains of a much larger cemetery for African Americans dating from the pre-Civil War era through the 1940s. It was the main burial ground for black slaves and servants from the Betton Plantation as well as other surrounding plantations. The plantation system grew in North Florida as cotton plantations to the north depleted their soil from overuse. Prominent early plantations in this region included Goodwood, Waverly, and Live Oak. Turbett Betton was a prominent Tallahassee merchant who purchased roughly 1,200 acres from the Lafayette estate, lying between Thomasville and Centerville Roads. Shortly after Betton’s death in 1863, the land was purchased by Guy Winthrop. The emancipation of the slaves ruined the cotton industry and many planters turned their land into quail hunting plantations. In 1945, the Winthrop family began subdividing the property for a new housing community called Betton Hills. Henry Watson, buried at the back of the lot with his wife, was one of Winthrop’s servants. However, most of the burials were marked with a simple wooden cross or flowers, and so no longer remain. Evidence of a burial site is marked by elongated depressions in the earth covered with altered vegetation. ,
A Florida Heritage Site.
The site is all that remains of a much larger cemetery for African Americans dating from the pre-Civil War era through the 1940s. It was the main burial ground for black slaves and servants from the Betton Plantation as well as other surrounding plantations. The plantation system grew in North Florida as cotton plantations to the north depleted their soil from overuse. Prominent early plantations in this region included Goodwood, Waverly, and Live Oak. Turbett Betton was a prominent Tallahassee merchant who purchased roughly 1,200 acres from the Lafayette estate, lying between Thomasville and Centerville Roads. Shortly after Betton’s death in 1863, the land was purchased by Guy Winthrop. The emancipation of the slaves ruined the cotton industry and many planters turned their land into quail hunting plantations. In 1945, the Winthrop family began subdividing the property for a new housing community called Betton Hills. Henry Watson, buried at the back of the lot with his wife, was one of Winthrop’s servants. However, most of the burials were marked with a simple wooden cross or flowers, and so no longer remain. Evidence of a burial site is marked by elongated depressions in the earth covered with altered vegetation.
A Florida Heritage Site
Erected 1999 by
Click or scan to see this page online
the Betton Hills Neighborhood Association, Riley House Heritage Museum and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-410.)
Location. 30° 27.954′ N, 84° 15.975′ W. Marker is in Tallahassee, Florida, in Leon County. It is in Betton Hills. Marker is on Betton Road, 0.1 miles east of Thomasville Road (State Road 61), on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Betton Road, Tallahassee FL 32308, United States of America. Touch for directions.
2. The Plantation Cemetery At Betton Hill (Only a few graves stones are still visible)
Photographed By Mark Hilton, December 6, 2014
3. Plantation Cemetery Graves
Photographed By Mark Hilton, December 6, 2014
4. Plantation Cemetery grave
Photographed By Mark Hilton, December 6, 2014
5. Looking towards Thomasville Road to the west.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 9, 2014, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,827 times since then and 96 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on December 9, 2014, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.