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Richardson Cemetery
28 unmarked graves found on adjacent land; question is, are there more?
A site plan of Richardson Cemetery showing a new planned entranceway and parking. The dots are graves, including on the recently deeded portion of land to the northwest.
By WILLIAM SNOWDEN Editor
The earliest grave in the Richardson Cemetery is from 1828. It contains graves of the Gavin family, the white plantation owners, and their slaves.
Several years ago, local historican Betty Green bought about three acres of the cemetery property for $500 when the the tax deed came up. She donated it to the Wakulla County Historical Society.
The historical society recently got a $120,000 federal grant for improvements to the cemetery – and plan to add an entrance and parking area, plus a walking trail and signage.
But the cemetery – located at the corner of Spring Creek Highway and U.S. Highway 98 – has also generated some concerns with plans for an RV park on property adjacent to the cemetery.
The Boyd family, which owns the adjacent property recently paid for ground-penetrating radar to be done on a portion of the property and found 28 unmarked graves. The 2 acres of land was deeded to the historical society. (There are additionally some 11 unmarked graves on the west side of the cemetery on property owned by Shell Point Realty.)
But some people with family buried in the area contend there are more graves out there.
At a meeting a few months ago, planning commissioner Leonard Donaldson voted against the RV development saying he believes there are graves all over the property.
Greg Davis, a local activist, organized a community meeting several weeks ago, and has suggested that ground-penetrating radar be used on the remaining 20 acres to see if more grave are there.
The owner, citing a cost upwards of $100,000 to do that, has refused.
Davis, aware of a new law that passed last year to protect historic and abandoned cemeteries, contacted state Rep. Fentrice Driskell, the House minority leader and last year’s bill sponsor.
Rep. Driskell posted on X, formerly Twitter, in late September: “As we wrap up our first committee week at the Capitol, it’s projects like these that remind me to keep fighting. Unmarked graves found in Wakulla County and others across the state are at risk of being lost or destroyed—abandoned African American cemeteries deserve better”
Debbie Jay of the historical society held a community meeting last week at the library to discuss plans for improvements: a new paved entrance and a gravel parking area, as well as a walking trail in the northern part of the property, which includes the recently added property.
There are plans for a fence around the property, including a new gate at the entrance with a pedestrian entrance.
A handful of people attended the meeting out of concern about more unmarked graves on the property.
Jay noted that graves in the northwestern part of the cemetery were from white families. The graves in the southern part of the cemetery are black families.
Much of the controversy first arose after Linda Alexander, who owns property north of the cemetery adjacent to the RV park, filed an appeal of a conditional use permit for the RV park to construct a pickleball court next to the cemetery. Alexander’s appeal was in front of the county commission.
Alexander wasn’t objecting to the pickleball court, though her appeal was limited to that. Her actual concern was the RV park and the 170 units that would be allowed on the property. Alexander, whose home was for sale, said buyers had walked away from the deal after learning of plans for the RV park.
Alexander claimed that what was originally pitched to her was a much smaller development.
Jenny Jones, who has family buried at Richardson Cemetery, appeared at the appeal hearing and expressed her concern about the impact of the RV park on the cemetery.
A hand-drawn plan for a wrought-iron gate at the entranceway of the cemetery off U.S. Highway 98.
