Evergreen & Palm Cemeteries

Evergreen and Palm Cemeteries. . , Originally named the Bartow Colored Cemetery, the Evergreen Cemetery has served the African American citizens of this area since the founding of Bartow in 1851. It is the oldest documented Black cemetery in Polk County, identified by the earliest marked grave of Tamer Moore in 1891. The many unmarked graves suggest burials here since the city's beginning. There are at least 20 interments of those born before the ending of slavery in 1865. Mary Gammon, born in 1817, is the earliest known birth evidenced in both cemeteries., The site was originally owned by Nathan S. Blount and was eventually deeded to L.O. Gold who owned the property when Tamer Moore was buried. His widow, Mrs. B.M. Gold, turned the land and administration over to Trustees Colored Cemetery of Bartow formed by Charles H. Macon, Jack C. Longworth, Clarence C. Johnson, Thomas Gammon, Rev. Miles F. Boone, Rev. A. Laster, Sam Burkett, J.B. Franklin, and Robert Gayden., Burials on the adjacent property west of Evergreen began as early as 1913. In 1926, Lousious Hewing, of Hewing Funeral Home, acquired this land from Armour Fertilizer Company and formally created Palm Cemetery., Marked graves have a wide range of materials and designs, many including ground level vaults. Other markers consist of marble, granite, bronze, and concrete. Many family plots are marked by gravel, copings, and fence., Burials include early Black pioneers, former enslaved individuals, religious, business, and community leaders, veterans, and the beloved families of Bartow and nearby communities. In addition, there are more than 1500 undocumented burials in the two cemeteries., As of 2021, Evergreen and Palm Cemeteries remain active. The care and reverence of this site evokes memories and serves as a reminder of the lives of loved ones.