Publications on St. Michael's Cemetery
Coming Soon!
The Search for the Hidden People of St. Michael's Cemetery Project
Nowhere else in our society are we as cognizant of the cultural landscape of our communities as in our historic cemeteries. Understanding a cemetery’s relationship to the physical and cultural landscape of the early community it served, and in many cases the modern community it continues to serve, enhances our understanding of how our communities were organized and grew.
Cemeteries are the repositories of last statements and speak to both the individual and collective cultural makeup of a community through time. St. Michael's Cemetery, once situated on the outskirts of a colonial town, is today an eight-acre green space in the heart of urban, historic Pensacola, Florida. Like most historic cemeteries, St. Michael’s reflects the social history of the community it is associated with.
The contemporary landscape of the cemetery contains approximately 3200 marked graves documenting the rich diversity of Pensacola’s community from the early 19th century onward. However, the contemporary landscape reflects only one dimension of site.
Historical research indicates the area immediately around (if not partially or completely within) St. Michael’s was used by the colonial community as a burial ground beginning in the mid to late 1700s. Unmarked burials encountered during modern interment episodes and restoration projects, as well as information contained in existing burial records and historical accounts, indicate a large number of un-marked burials are present.Remote sensing studies also support the existence of an extensive unmarked population spanning approximately 230 years.
While the origins of St. Michael's are unclear, the cemetery certainly predates the oldest extant marker present on the site, which dates to 1812. The Search for the Hidden People of St. Michael’s Cemetery Project explores the relationship between cemetery and community via multidisciplinary investigations. Changes to the physical and cultural landscape, documentation of unmarked burials, and identification of many of the previously unknown individuals who lost their lives on the Florida Gulf Coast frontier, help to better understand and interpret historic St. Michael’s Cemetery and its relationship to the community it serves. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, assisted by the Historic Preservation Advisory Council.
Suggested readings on the history and archaeology of Pensacola include:
Historic Pensacola by John J. Clune http://www.upf.com/book.asp?id=CLUNEF05
Unearthing Pensacola by Judith Bense, Design and Illustration by Nancy Miller
Books available at Barnes and Nobles, Historic Pensacola Village, and other fine book sellers