Tampa in Hillsborough County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery
1890 – 1926
Photographed By Fr. Len Plazewski
1. St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery Marker
Inscription.
St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery. 1890 – 1926. The advent of the cigar industry in the late 1890’s ushered in an era of significant growth for Tampa which included many Catholic immigrants from Spain, Cuba, and Sicily as well as Catholic families who relocated from other parts of the U.S. This influx hastened the need for a second cemetery for Catholics to accompany downtown’s St. Louis Cemetery (est. 1874). In 1890, the pastor of St. Louis parish (now Sacred Heart), Father John Quinlan, S.J. purchased 8 acres on north Florida Avenue for a new cemetery which was named in honor of Our Lady. For more than three decades, many Catholics of various ethnicities including white, Latin, and African-American were interred here. With an eye to establish a parochial school on the site, in 1925-26 the remains of those buried at St. Mary’s were transferred to the newly created Catholic section at Myrtle Hill Cemetery or to other local cemeteries. Sacred Heart Academy opened in 1931 and would serve thousands of children until declining enrollment led to its closure in 2012. The Arguelles and Ficarrotta Ferlita mausoleums remained here because of the prohibitive costs involved in relocation. They now stand as silent sentinels of this once hallowed ground.
The advent of the cigar industry in the late 1890’s ushered in an era of significant growth for Tampa which included many Catholic immigrants from Spain, Cuba, and Sicily as well as Catholic families who relocated from other parts of the U.S. This influx hastened the need for a second cemetery for Catholics to accompany downtown’s St. Louis Cemetery (est. 1874). In 1890, the pastor of St. Louis parish (now Sacred Heart), Father John Quinlan, S.J. purchased 8 acres on north Florida Avenue for a new cemetery which was named in honor of Our Lady. For more than three decades, many Catholics of various ethnicities including white, Latin, and African-American were interred here. With an eye to establish a parochial school on the site, in 1925-26 the remains of those buried at St. Mary’s were transferred to the newly created Catholic section at Myrtle Hill Cemetery or to other local cemeteries. Sacred Heart Academy opened in 1931 and would serve thousands of children until declining enrollment led to its closure in 2012. The Arguelles and Ficarrotta Ferlita mausoleums remained here because of the prohibitive costs involved in relocation. They now stand as silent sentinels of this once hallowed ground.
Erected 2023 by Diocese of St. Petersburg.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists:
Location. 27° 58.609′ N, 82° 27.515′ W. Marker is in Tampa, Florida, in Hillsborough County. Marker is on Florida Avenue (Business U.S. 41) north of East Emily Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3515 N Florida Avenue, Tampa FL 33603, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 30, 2023, by Fr. Len Plazewski of Tampa, Florida. This page has been viewed 65 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 30, 2023, by Fr. Len Plazewski of Tampa, Florida. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
