Peary Court Post Cemetery

Peary Court Post Cemetery. . The military history of Peary Court dates from 1831 when the Key West army barracks was established. The earliest recorded burials in the post cemetery was in 1836, probably resulting from the yellow fever epidemic that led to the abandonment of the post. In 1854, four years after the post reopened, yellow fever added fourteen more burials to the cemetery, but only four other burials were recorded prior to 1862., Most of the interments in the post cemetery occurred during the Civil War, when yellow fever, typhoid, and other diseases took a heavy toll among the Union regiments stationed here. Regiments especially hard hit included the 47th Pennsylvania Volunteers, the 90th and 91st New York Infantry, and the 2nd U.S. Colored Infantry. The cemetery remained in use until the 1920’s, when the lack of space precluded additional burials., In 1927, this cemetery was abandoned and 436 bodies were removed for reinterment at the military cemetery at Fort Barrangas, Pensacola, Florida. The army barracks were deactivated in 1947, and the area transferred to the Navy.The army buildings were demolished and Peary Court was redeveloped as a military housing complex.