“Sacred Ground: The Rise, Fall & Revival of Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery,” a trailblazing exhibition exploring the rise, decline and continuing work to restore Lincoln Memorial Park, one of Miami’s oldest and most historically significant cemeteries, will premiere at the Coral Gables Museum on Aug. 2, it was announced recntly by chief curator Yuni Villalonga.
The museum’s involvement with Lincoln Memorial Park began in earnest with a handful of volunteers and museum staff in January 2018.
Now, each month, more than 100 volunteers have joined the museum’s efforts in clearing debris, removing massive amounts of overgrowth, and repairing and cleaning the graves, which are primarily comprised of above-ground concrete vaults. The museum also is researching funeral home records to identify the names and locations of those buried so descendants can find their relatives.
“Recognizing our efforts, the owners have entrusted us with an incredible number of priceless artifacts, including original ledgers dating back to 1920, as well as telegrams, photographs, maps and U.S. Military markers,” said executive director John Allen.
“Together, these pieces will help us tell the larger story of how communities can eliminate the artificial boundaries imposed by society to work together for a common goal,” Allen added.
“This is a unique opportunity to open our museum to a community that has, for so long, been under-recognized and misrepresented,” Villalonga said. “We wanted to create a platform for African-American voices, both past and present, to be heard, and we’re excited to have secured additional programming to accompany this truly momentous exhibition, ranging from lectures by leading subject matter experts to diverse musical performances.”
The plight of the Lincoln Memorial Park cemetery was first brought to Allen’s attention by Malcolm Lauredo, the museum’s director of Historic Research.
“The first time I went to Lincoln, it was apparent that, despite its haunting beauty, this historic site was in a precarious state and presented an enormous challenge,” Lauredo said. “But, perhaps even more importantly, it was a remarkable opportunity for our local community to take an active, hands-on role in revitalizing a critical part of Miami’s history.”
Due to decades of vandalism, trespassing and desecration, the project is still in progress and will conclude when full restoration is complete.
Once regarded as the finest cemetery in the South, Lincoln Memorial Park serves as the final resting place for many prominent black leaders, including famed Civil Rights activist Athalie Range; Gwen Cherry, the first female elected to the Florida Legislature; D.A. Dorsey, the son of former slaves who became Miami’s first black millionaire and a banker, philanthropist and sold what became known as Fisher Island to Carl Fisher, and Kelsey Pharr, Miami’s first licensed African-American mortician and longtime owner of the cemetery.
Hundreds of U.S. soldiers who served in conflicts ranging from the Spanish-American War to Vietnam are buried there, many in unmarked or unlocated graves. A significant number of those buried in the cemetery were employed in the 1920s in the creation and construction of Coral Gables.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Coral Gables Museum presents exhibits and programs that celebrate, investigate and explore the civic arts while fostering an appreciation for the history, vision and cultural landscape of the 1920s planned community of Coral Gables.
Works from the permanent collections, along with a rotation of temporary exhibitions, are on view in the museum’s galleries Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 5 p.m.; Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. For more information about the Coral Gables Museum, call 305-603-8067 or visit www.coralgablesmuseum.org.
Where is Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery . . . is it the one on the East side of Douglas Rd. just South of Grand Ave?