Huguenot Cemetery Guided Tour

The Huguenot Cemetery is the oldest non-Catholic cemetery in Florida, having been 'founded' the year that Florida became a territory of the United States. It was a multi-racial, multi-ethnic public burial ground from 1821 to 1884. The Memorial Presbyterian Church has owned the cemetery since 1832. 

The cemetery was first used for the interment of victims of the 1821 yellow fever epidemic and then for the burial of members of the newly arrived Protestant population. The oldest headstone is that of Johann George Happoldt who died August 15, 1821.  

The Huguenot Cemetery is significant because it was one of the first steps to Americanize Florida. The burial traditions and funerary materials expressed at Huguenot are quite different from the nearby Tolomato Cemetery, which had been established by the Catholic Church in 1777. Because of this significance, the Huguenot Cemetery is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 

The Friends of the Huguenot Cemetery, Inc. opens the Huguenot Cemetery to the public on the third Saturday of each month from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Docents are on hand to answer questions. 

Admission: Free 

When: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on the third Saturday of the month. 

Where: The cemetery is next to the Visitor Information Center in historic downtown at the corner of A1A and Orange Street.