Mayport in Atlantic Beach in Duval County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Historic Old Mayport Cemetery
This is the site of the Historic Old Mayport Cemetery, on Navy, City of Jacksonville and nearby private properties, covered beneath considerable fill material, roadways and private development. The names of some who are interred here are known; the number of graves, the earliest burial dates, and the precise boundaries are unknown. Its size is estimated to be within 49,000 square meters or approximately 12 acres. This site is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
Legacies reference this Cemetery as being the Spanish Cemetery, with possible interments relating to the historic territorial conflicts and occupations in this area during the 16th and 17th centuries.
The following is a partial quote from Helen Cooper Floyd’s 1994, ‘Folk History of Mayport, Florida, In the Shadow of the Lighthouse', Appendices: 'Cemeteries': "Near the St. Johns Lighthouse, within the boundaries of the U.S. Naval Station and covered by the pavement of Broad Street, the oldest cemetery in Mayport memory is sealed away.
Br> Beneath spreading oaks, partially covered by shifting sands of a long gone hill, there once were rusting wrought iron fences. Tilted headstones covered by blackberry brambles were overshadowed by an oleander tree that was taller than many houses in the village. Here robins flocked in February and violets bloomed in early spring. No one tended the graves and few questioned their origins. This was a place of mystery to the children who sometimes chose it for a playground…
…Oak Tree, oleander and tombstones are gone. In the pavement where Broad Street makes a wide semi-circle near the Navy fence are strange indentations. Perhaps they mark the graves of some long gone and long forgotten citizens of Mayport Mills. Or Hazzard. Or, conceivably the Spanish occupation.”
This memorial is on Navy property; soil-disturbing activities must be by permit, obtainable from Naval Station Mayport’s Public Works Engineering. Ph. 270-5184
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 30° 23.629′ N, 81° 25.604′ W. Marker is in Atlantic Beach, Florida, in Duval County. It is in Mayport. Marker is on Broad Street, 0.2 miles east of Ocean Street, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1320 Broad St, Atlantic Beach FL 32233, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. French Huguenots in North America (approx. 0.2 miles away); U.S. Merchant Marine (approx. 0.2 miles away); Pilot Town/Napoleon Bonaparte Broward (approx. 0.7 miles away); Jean Ribaut (approx. 0.7 miles away); The Huguenot Memorial Site (approx. 1.3 miles away); St. George Episcopal Church (approx. 1.4 miles away); Ribault Club Inn (approx. 2.4 miles away); Fort George Island (approx. 2.4 miles away).
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 15, 2019, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 702 times since then and 90 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 15, 2019, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.