Welcome to St. John's Cemetery

Welcome to St. John's Cemetery. . , Established in 1876, St. John’s Cemetery is one of Pensacola’s most historic cemeteries and is still in use today., The 26 acres that comprise St. John’s Cemetery were purchased on April 3, 1876 by the Masons of Escambia Lodge, No. 15, F.&A.M. to serve as a public cemetery , open to people of all faiths and races. The site was chosen because it was on the edge of Pensacola and money could be earned from its timber to help establish the cemetery. , Before the first interment in August, the land was plotted into two halves, various sections, and smaller 6’x7’ yard lots. The immediate north half was reserved by the whole-lot to families. Whereas, the immediate south half was reserved in smaller parcels. Even numbered Sections 32-44.5 were reserved for people of color. Also, special lots in the south were created exclusively for babies, sailors, indigents, and criminals. The white fenced section in the south is but one example of lots reserved for babies. St. John’s quickly became the cemetery of choice for almost 100 years, as the only other existing, smaller cemetery downtown was running out of space and frequently was clouded by debates over people’s faith. , The Gatehouse was erected in 1908. Its chapel on the north side served as the city’s first non-sectarian chapel but mainly offered families the ability to allow their deceased to lay in state to receive mourners. Previously, such activity was customarily done in a person’s home. Later funeral companies would build facilities to offer this service. , The cemetery continues to serve its mission; the chapel is open for services, and spaces still are available. A board of Masonic members direct operations and is assisted by volunteers associated with the Friends of St. John’s Cemetery Foundation. , Fascinating Facts , Graves of three Civil War Confederate generals , Edward A. Perry , Section 15 | Lot 27 , Samuel Gibbs French , Section 25 | Lot 27 , William Miller , Section 9 | Lot 19 , Grave of “Railroad Bill” the most infamous black train robber in U.S. history , Morris Slater , Section 42 | Lot 4, Grave of George Washington’s grandniece , Mary W. Willis , Section 19 | Lot 21 , Grave of the first Naval aviator wife , thus earning Pensacola the title “Mother-in-law-to the Navy” , Helen Fisher McDonnell , Section 23 | Lot 14 , Grave of the inventor of the shift key in a typewriter and former mayor , Charles Bliss , Section 6 | Lot 14 , Seeking a better love life? , Visit the grave of Madam Mollie McCoy , a Pensacola tradition , Section 22 | Lot 6 , Grave of Navy Cross recipient from Battle of Midway , LCdr John C. Waldron , Section 49 | Lot 27 , Largest concentration of a rare winter grapefern (botrychium lunarioides) in the Deep South. This plant is visible in January and February throughout the cemetery grounds. , St. John's Cemetery has the largest and most diverse number of gravestones and monuments in northwest Florida. , How to find a burial lot in the cemetery , St. John's Cemetery is positioned in an east-west direction. All Sections begin at the Gatehouse, which is on the far eastern part of the property. The center road through the Gatehouse divides the cemetery into two parts. All Sections to the right (north) of this road are odd numbers. Those to the left (south) are even. Each Section has a numbered marker. Information about the cemetery and those buried within are available on the cemetery's website: www.stjohnsdb.com. You can also access the walking tour from the website. St. John's continues to serve its purpose. There are many options for burials and cremation services still available. The cemetery offers family lots, half-lots and individual spaces. It is open to people of all faiths and races. For inquiries, please email [email protected] or phone 850-332-7339.