East Tampa in Hillsborough County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Memorial Park Cemetery

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, August 12, 2024

1. Memorial Park Cemetery Marker

Inscription.
Memorial Park Cemetery was established in 1919 to serve as the final resting place for deceased African Americans who fought in recently-ended World War I. Segregation practices of the time prohibited Black funerals in the growing number of private, White, cemeteries. The few city-owned cemeteries were running out of room for burials for both Whites and Blacks, as was the private Black-owned Zion Cemetery, so places like Memorial Park, served a vital need.

Shortly after the creation of Memorial Park, Tampa's other Black cemeteries began to be acquired by White interests, and the graves were either removed or simply built on top of Memorial Park remained as the only tangible cemetery for Tampa's Black residents until the rediscovery of Zion Cemetery and others in 2019 and 2020.

The City of Tampa began to maintain Memorial Park in 2019, upon the death of the cemetery's owner. The city purchased the property outright in 2023.

Erected 2024 by City of Tampa, Hillsborough County Historical Advisory Council.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical year for this entry is 1919.

Location. 27° 58.838′ N, 82° 25.84′ W. Marker is in Tampa, Florida

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, in Hillsborough County. It is in East Tampa. It is at the intersection of North 26th Street and East 33rd Avenue, on the right when traveling south on North 26th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2425 East Dr Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, Tampa FL 33610, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Florida’s Tampa Bay.

It is also in the American South

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Cyrus Greene Park (approx. ¼ mile away); Belmont Heights (approx. 0.4 miles away); St. Joseph Aid Cemetery-Montana City Cemetery (approx. 0.6 miles away); College Hill Cemetery (approx. 0.6 miles away); Il Cimitero Dell’Unione Italiana (approx. 0.6 miles away); Middleton Senior High School (approx. 0.6 miles away); Sgt. Nick Matassini (approx. 0.6 miles away); Ossuarium Memoriale (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tampa.

Also see . . . Memorial Park Cemetery. (Submitted on August 13, 2024, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, August 12, 2024

2. Memorial Park Cemetery Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on August 13, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 13, 2024, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 322 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 13, 2024, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.