JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The city of Jacksonville has until June 30, 2027, to complete an agreement tied to a $50,000 state grant for a project at the historic Mount Herman Cemetery in Durkeeville.
The grant will help the city hire a historic preservation contractor to assist with efforts to investigate and preserve the former cemetery site, which is now home to a park and the Emmett Reed Community Center.
One goal of the project is to determine whether voids in the ground could indicate where people were buried. Researchers believe people were buried at Mount Herman Cemetery from the Civil War era through the early 20th century.
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The cemetery was established in the 1800s as one of Jacksonville’s first large cemeteries for the Black community following emancipation. Historical records indicate that families, formerly enslaved people and United States Colored Troops veterans were buried there.
Over time, the cemetery fell into disuse. The property was eventually sold to the city, and the Emmett Reed Community Center, a pool and a park were built on the site.
For years, there were few visible signs that the property had once been a cemetery. One of the most prominent reminders is a tombstone embedded in a sidewalk.
The marker belongs to Thompson Williams, who died in 1908 after being shot while trying to protect a woman from an intruder. Historical newspaper accounts described Williams as a hero, and a community collection helped pay for his gravestone.
Historical records have identified nearly 200 names connected to burials at Mount Herman Cemetery, including nearly two dozen military veterans. Earlier research estimated that between 100 and 200 people were buried on the land, while later research placed the number at about 600.
More recent research suggests the number could be as high as 1,200 people.
A family plot belonging to the Fagins family has also been identified behind a tree line on the property.
The city plans to use ground-penetrating radar as part of the project. The technology can detect changes beneath the surface and identify possible burial locations without disturbing the ground.
The project could help determine whether graves remain beneath the park and community center and provide answers for families searching for loved ones buried at Mount Herman Cemetery.
The grant agreement deadline is June 30, 2027.
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