Key West Cemetery

The Key West Cemetery offers visitors a look into the morose side of the city's quirky personality. The cemetery began in 1847 and is located in the center of Old Town. It was originally near the Southernmost Point, but after the 1847 hurricane disinterred many of the bodies, residents were forced to move the cemetery to higher ground, where it is marked with statues and above ground tombs. The main entry gate of the cemetery is located at the corner of Angela and Margaret Streets. A visit through the cemetery can begin at the corner of Magnolia and Palm, where the USS Maine Plat painted silver. There is a bronze soldier in the area that was dedicated in 1900 and today, he overlooks the marble markers commemorating the 1898 sinking of the USS Maine in the Havana Harbor. Also buried in the cemetery are General Abraham Lincoln Sawyer who was a 40" tall man who asked to be buried in a full-size tomb. Florida's first millionaire, William Curry, rests here, as does Ellen Mallory, mother to Stephen Mallory, the US Senator and Confederate Navy Secretary, as well as the inspiration for the name of Mallory Square. Other well-known graves include Duncan Cameron, Reverand J. Van Duzen, Captain Francis Watlington and Earl Saunders Johnson.