February 24, 2022
St. Augustine, FL
Tolomato Cemetery is a historic landmark in St. Augustine, Florida measuring less than an acre of land. From the 1800s through 1884, about 1,000 bodies were buried under the grounds of the cemetery. Ordinary people, as well as major historically impacting individuals, can be found resting here. People from places and origins all over the world and soldiers who fought in the Civil War are buried here. An important Cuban bishop is also found resting here. This place has undergone many momentous periods such as the First Spanish Period, the British Period, and many more eras that the state of Florida has been through. The special and impactful stories of those who lived before us are recognized and remembered here at the Tolomato Cemetery.
Tolomato Cemetery Website: http://www.tolomatocemetery.com/
Artifact 1
The photo above is an above-ground tomb of a 16-year-old girl. She was buried in the year 1798 making this marker the oldest marked burial in the state of Florida. Sometime after she was laid to rest, grave robbers stole the clothes from her tomb. Soldiers from the Castillo de San Marcos Fort were known grave robbers and eventually returned the clothing.
The Tolomato Cemetery holds many soldiers buried bodies. Many veterans from the Civil War were buried here. The marker on the tombstone distinguished them as veterans of the confederate army. People buried here most likely did not die in battle but of natural causes. The tombstone holds not only the symbol of a confederate army veteran but also the rank of the soldier.
Exterior 1
Exterior 2
In Conversation Image 1
Above is a photo of King David's tomb in Jerusalem, Israel. The sacred tomb of the Bishop in the Tolomato Cemetery reminded me of King David's tomb because both of these burial sites are sacred places to those of their religion. Just like the importance of the history of King David to the Jewish faith, the Spanish Bishop's history is significant in the Catholic Church.
Photo Link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/k4eyv/50270466978
In Conversation Image 2
I was reminded of the Arlington National Cemetery pictured above on the right when I saw the markers of the military veterans in the Tolomato Cemetery. In the Arlington National Cemetery, soldiers' markers are organized, polished, and labeled with the soldiers' rank. Just like in Arlington, the tombstones in the Tolomato Cemetery were placed in an organized and clean line, they were all the same white marbled stone, and they were labeled with the rank of the soldier.
Photo Link: https://www.usatoday.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fin-depth%2Fnews%2Fnation%2F2021%2F05%2F28%2Fphotos-arlington-national-cemetery-flags-in-memorial-day%2F7485347002%2F
In Conversation Literature
Excerpt from Habitat Threshold
Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Glacier
Craig Santos Perez
“We do not know which to fear more, the terror of change or the terror of uncertainty…”
Visiting a cemetery causes a person to reflect. Going to the Tolomato Cemetery made me reflect. It made me think of those I have lost and all that I want to do before I pass. This quote from Craig Santos Perez's "Habitat Threshold" poem reminded me of the feeling that was conjured when I was standing in the cemetery. As humans, we naturally fear the uncertain future and death. The "terror of change or the terror of uncertainty" should not scare us. It should encourage us to live fully and accomplish our dreams because we do not have forever.
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