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- Memorial Cemetery reflects Jacksonville African‑American social history and religious traditions, with West and Central African-rooted burial practices.
- The cemetery was long tied to the Afro‑American Life Insurance Company and the Lewis family, notably civic leader Abraham Lincoln Lewis.
- Designated a local landmark in 1992, the site highlights patterns of preservation and decline following desegregation.
About Memorial Cemetery:
Situated at the northwest corner of Moncrief Road and Edgewood Avenue, the 18.5-acre Memorial Cemetery was established in 1909. The largest burial ground within the Moncrief Cemetery District, it ultimately served as the final resting place for more than 70,000 African-American Jaxsons during the early 20th century. Among those interred here is Abraham Lincoln Lewis, one of Jacksonville’s most prominent civic and business leaders.
In 1901, Lewis helped organize the Afro-American Industrial Benefit Association, which later evolved into the Afro-American Life Insurance Company. That same year, he worked alongside Booker T. Washington to establish the National Negro Business League, created to “promote the commercial and financial development of the Negro.” Widely recognized as Florida’s first African-American millionaire, Lewis used his success to invest in the Black community. His contributions included developing Nassau County’s American Beach, founding Jacksonville’s Lincoln Golf and Country Club, and generously supporting historically Black colleges such as Edward Waters College, Bethune-Cookman University, Florida Memorial University, and Florida A&M University.
In 1911, ownership of Memorial Cemetery transferred to the Memorial Cemetery Association, with Lewis serving as president. As Jacksonville’s population expanded, so did the need for additional burial grounds. The association responded by acquiring land for Sunset Cemetery in 1913 and platting Pinehurst Cemetery in 1928. After Lewis’s death, his son James H. Lewis assumed leadership of both the insurance company and the cemetery operations. In 1936, the Memorial Cemetery Association was dissolved, and the Lewis family retained ownership of the burial grounds.
Over time, Memorial and Sunset emerged as “fashionable” cemeteries, while Pinehurst was regarded as more modest. Following desegregation, however, these cemeteries, along with others in the Moncrief Cemetery District, experienced decline, paralleling the disinvestment seen in many urban Black communities. Once closely tied to the Afro-American Life Insurance Company, the cemeteries struggled as the company itself faced challenges in a changing social and economic landscape. Many families eventually chose newer cemeteries or even relocated loved ones to better maintained grounds.
In 1986, ownership was transferred to Memorial Cemetery, Inc. Four years later, the Afro-American Life Insurance Company permanently closed. Today, Memorial Cemetery stands as a reflection of Jacksonville’s African-American social history and religious traditions during the first half of the 20th century. Oral accounts suggest that burial practices rooted in West and Central African customs were once observed here. In recognition of its significance, the City of Jacksonville designated Memorial Cemetery a local landmark in 1992.
Location:
Memorial Cemetery
Corner of Moncrief Road and Edgewood Dr.
Jacksonville, Florida 32209
Date & Time:
Saturday, 10/04/2025
9:00am EDT – 11:00am EDT
Price:
Free
For more information:
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/stjohnsriverkeeperinc/event/cemeterytouroctober/
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