East Hill in Pensacola in Escambia County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Havana Square Cemetery at Miraflores Park

Pensacola's Historic Cemeteries

Havana Square Cemetery Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 19, 2025

1. Havana Square Cemetery Marker

Inscription.
In June 2021, the remains of two individuals were found in the crawl space of the Boy Scout Building at Miraflores Park. Authorities confirmed the remains were over 75 years old. A bioarchaeologist from the University of West Florida identified features of African, Creole, and European ancestry, reflecting Pensacola's diverse history. “Creole” refers to individuals of mixed European (Spanish or French) and African descent.

To honor this site, the City of Pensacola initiated the Miraflores Burial Ground Study in January 2023. Mayor D.C. Reeves formed a Community Advisory Group for guidance. A National Park Service grant supported a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey, identifying 80 possible unmarked burials. Ongoing research aims to preserve and understand this site's cultural significance.

The City of Pensacola follows the Best Management Practices of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, ensuring all burial sites and remains are treated with respect.

Legal Protections

• Under Chapter 872 of Florida Statutes, disturbing human remains on any land is illegal.
• Section 6-3-8 of the City of Pensacola Parks and Recreation code prohibits damaging park property.

Please respect and help preserve Miraflores Park's unmarked burial grounds for future generations.

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image: TerraXplorations, Inc. conducting ground-penetrating radar survey. (Image courtesy Mike Thomin/Florida Public Archaeology Network)

This material was produced with assistance from the Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior under Grant Number P23AP01114-00. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Interior.

Erected 2025 by City of Pensacola and University of West Florida Historic Trust.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Anthropology & Archaeology • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical month for this entry is January 2023.

Location. 30° 25.296′ N, 87° 11.71′ W. Marker is in Pensacola, Florida, in Escambia County. It is in East Hill. It can be reached from East Belmont Street just east of North 16th Avenue, on the left when traveling east. The marker is located in Miraflores Park, on the north side of the old Boy Scout Building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1601 East La Rua Street, Pensacola FL 32501, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the Florida Panhandle.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep 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

Marker detail: Groupings of Potential Burials image. Click for full size.

2. Marker detail: Groupings of Potential Burials

Ground penetrating radar survey results showing groupings of possible burials.

: More Than Just a Park (here, next to this marker); Here Rests the Remains of Unnamed Citizens (here, next to this marker); Boy Scout Building (a few steps from this marker); Ricardo Palma (within shouting distance of this marker); Frascati (approx. 0.2 miles away); Emanuel Point Shipwrecks / Los Naufragios de Emanuel Point (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Yonge House (approx. 0.3 miles away); Historic John the Baptist Church (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pensacola.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Miraflores Park

Also see . . . Miraflores Burial Ground Study (cityofpensacola.com).

Excerpt: In June 2021, human remains of two individuals were discovered by a local Boy Scout troop in the crawl space underneath the Boy Scout Building at Miraflores Park. Local authorities were contacted and a field investigation revealed that the remains were older than 75 years, meaning they were not from a modern, forensic case. A skeletal analysis conducted by University of West Florida biological anthropologists indicated that one individual is female and the other is likely male. Ongoing research has identified multiple historic documents including newspaper articles,
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 19, 2025

3. Havana Square Cemetery Marker
Looking southeast through Miraflores Park. The marker is at the northeast corner of this kiosk located on the north side of the old Boy Scout Building.
meeting minutes, legal records, and a map indicating that Havana Square was used as an African American or Creole burial ground during the 19th century.
The City of Pensacola held a public ceremony on June 17, 2025 to unveil a burial marker and interpretive signage that honors the unmarked burial ground at Miraflores Park.

(Submitted on August 3, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 4, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 2, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 140 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 3, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.