The City of Pensacola will commemorate the installation of a marker honoring the unmarked burial ground at Miraflores Park on Tuesday, June 17, at 9 a.m. to commemorate the installation of a marker honoring the unmarked burial ground at Miraflores Park, 1601 E. La Rua St.
Remembering the Past
The marker ceremony represents the culmination of years of dedicated research and community involvement following the discovery of human remains in 2021. Two individuals recovered from the crawl space of the Boy Scout Building have been respectfully reinterred within the marker.
The Miraflores Burial Ground Study, conducted through extensive community partnerships, revealed the presence of approximately 80 possible unmarked graves throughout the park. Using ground penetrating radar technology funded by a National Park Service grant, researchers could map the extent of this historic cemetery.
Historic research indicates that the burial ground was established by 1884 and served predominantly African American and Creole communities. This discovery sheds important light on Pensacola’s diverse cultural heritage and the stories of residents whose contributions may have been overlooked in traditional historical narratives.
Collaborative Effort
In 2023, Mayor D.C. Reeves appointed the Miraflores Community Advisory Group, comprising 10 dedicated community members who provided invaluable guidance throughout the assessment and commemoration process…