Oaklawn Cemetery
{{short description|First public burial ground in Tampa, Florida, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NRHP
| name = Oaklawn Cemetery
| nrhp_type = hd | nocat = yes
| image = Oaklawn cemetery.jpg
| caption = Harrison St. entrance to Oaklawn Cemetery
| location = Hillsborough County, Florida
| coordinates = {{coord|27|57|16.9|N|82|27|26.3|W|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin = Florida#USA
| area =
| added = September 19, 2017
| visitation_num =
| visitation_year =
| governing_body =
| architect =
| architecture =
| refnum = 100001668
}}
Oaklawn Cemetery is the first public burial ground in Tampa, Florida, United States. The location was deeded in the mid-19th century and was described as the final resting place for "White and Slave, Rich and Poor." Oaklawn Cemetery is located at the intersection of Morgan Street and Harrison Street in downtown Tampa, about two blocks South of I-275. It has approximately 1,700 graves.
Oaklawn Cemetery includes a section for Catholic burials called St. Louis Catholic Cemetery. The two graveyards were added as a Historic District to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on September 19, 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2017-09-19/pdf/2017-19719.pdf|title=Federal Register Notices|publisher=}} The Sexton House was used for equipment storage and maintenance activities. The cemetery was of the "Rural Cemetery" style.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tampagov.net/parks-and-recreation/cemeteries/oaklawn-walking-tour-rural-cemetery|title = The Rural Cemetery|date = 8 July 2014}} The First Mayor of the City of Tampa, Judge Joseph B. Lancaster, is buried at Oaklawn, as is the 6th mayor, James McKay Sr. Others include pirates, slaves, yellow fever epidemic victims and confederate soldiers. Notable areas and gravesites in the cemetery include the gravesites of Henry Laurens Mitchell, John T. Lesley Family, Samuel Friebele, Charlie Wall, the Hooker Family, James McKay Jr., James C. Field, Joseph B. Lancaster, the Krause Family, the Wall Family, mass graves, gravesite of James T. Magbee, the gravesites of William and Nancy Ashley,{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/tampa-tombstone-shares-master-slaves-tale-of-brave-love/1272940/|title=Tampa tombstone shares master, slave's tale of brave love|date=2 February 2013|publisher=}} gravesites of John P. Wall, James Gettis,{{cite web|url=https://www.tampagov.net/parks-and-recreation/cemeteries/oaklawn-walking-tour-james-gettis|title=James Gettis|last=cotadmin|date=8 July 2014|publisher=}} grave art, and the "Cradle Graves."[http://www.tampagov.net/dept_parks_and_recreation/programs_and_services/INFORMATION_RESOURCES/CEMETERIES/OAKLAWN_WALKING_TOUR/index.asp Oaklawn Walking Tour] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130623173356/http://www.tampagov.net/dept_parks_and_recreation/programs_and_services/INFORMATION_RESOURCES/CEMETERIES/Oaklawn_Walking_Tour/index.asp |date=2013-06-23 }} Tampa Parks and Recreation
Saint Louis Catholic Cemetery
{{About|the Catholic section of Oaklawn Cemetery in Tampa, Florida|the cemetery in New Orleans|Saint Louis Cemetery}}
File:Ybor grave.jpg's grave lies in the St. Louis section of Oaklawn Cemetery]]
The northwest section is actually a separate cemetery known as Saint Louis Catholic Cemetery. Established in 1874, it had its own entry gates and was for many years completely separated from Oaklawn by an iron fence. Among those buried in the St. Louis section are the founder of Ybor City, Vicente Martinez Ybor, five pioneer priests (three of whom died in a 15-day period during the 1887 yellow fever epidemic) and Cecilia Morse, the foundress of Catholic parochial education in the Tampa Bay area. A few remnants of the fence are still visible including several brick fence posts with marble finials, the original driveways and the gates that serviced only the St. Louis section. In 2010 and 2011, the Diocese of Saint Petersburg added Catholic Heritage Markers to the cemetery recognizing the contributions of both Mrs. Morse and the pioneer priests, as well as a site map which delineates the "Saint Louis section" of the graveyard.{{cite web|url=http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=37795|title=C. Cecilia Morse Historical Marker|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=37548|title=Pioneer Priests' Graves Historical Marker|publisher=}}
Sexton House
The Sexton House, formerly known as the Pavilion or Gazebo, was constructed in 1910 for caretaker tools and equipment. The word "sexton" is from the Latin "sacristanus" which means "someone who looks after the sacred objects."[http://www.tampagov.net/dept_parks_and_recreation/programs_and_services/INFORMATION_RESOURCES/CEMETERIES/OAKLAWN_WALKING_TOUR/_oaklawn_walking_tour_sexton_house.asp Sexton House] Tampa Parks and Recreation
Darwin Branch Givens
A gravesite for Darwin Branch Givens (born 1858 - died 1942) includes a marble marker at the gravesite inscribed:
::As a young
::child, he
::alerted Tampa
::of the
::invading
::Yankee
::soldiers with
::the cry "the
::devils are
::coming." 1864
::Early Oaklawn
Image gallery
Image:Uss sagamore.jpg|USS Sagamore marker
Image:Capt a black.jpg| Captain Black, Died at Sea
Image:John p wall.jpg|John P. Wall, 15th Mayor of Tampa
Image:102 unknown.jpg|102 Unknown Monument
Image:First mayor of tampa.jpg|Joseph Lancaster, First Mayor of Tampa, grave
Image:Kennedy monument.jpg|Kennedy Monument
Image:Collier.jpg|Coller Marker, Tampa's First Settlers
Image:John mccormick.jpg|John McCormick, Tampa PD's first officer killed in the line of duty
Image:CSA unknown soldier.jpg|Confederate Unknown Soldier
Image:Mr hubbard pirate grave.jpg|Pirate Grave
Image:Slave grave.jpg|Lesley Family Slave Grave, No name listed
Image:Yellow fever monument.jpg|Yellow Fever Monument
Image:John miller.jpg|Sgt John Miller, WWII
Image:Master and servant.jpg|William and Nancy Ashley, Master and Servant grave
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Oaklawn Cemetery (Tampa, Florida)}}
- [http://www.hillsboroughcountycemeteries.com/oaklawn-tampa/index.html List of Persons Interred at Oaklawn]
- [http://www.sptimes.com/2004/10/30/Hillsborough/Stroll_in_shabby_old_.shtml St Petersburg Times article on Oaklawn]
- [http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/apr/19/tr-oaklawn-notables/ Notable people buried at Oaklawn Cemetery]
- [http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=37548 Pioneer Priests' Graves and St. Louis Cemetery map]
- [http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=37795 Cecelia Morse Grave and DOSP Historic Marker]
{{National Register of Historic Places in Florida}}
{{Tampa, Florida}}
Category:Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida
Category:Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg
Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida
Category:National Register of Historic Places in Tampa, Florida
Category:Cemeteries in Hillsborough County, Florida