Clearwater, Fla. – The excavation work at the North Greenwood Cemetery in Clearwater has come to a close.
What You Need To Know
- Archaeologists confirmed the presence of graves at North Greenwood Cemetery, where a school was built
- City of Clearwater and the community will now determine next step
Teams from Cardno Inc. and the Florida Archaeology Network (USF) uncovered 29 grave shafts over four locations and several artifacts of remembrance.
“The public, the community has been out here all week with us bringing forth their information, and their stories, and their memories of this site,” said Erin McKendry with Cardno Inc.
For many in the community, this is the start of the healing process.
All artifacts will be put back to rest and all the soil leveled.
Next, archaeologists will begin creating a lengthy analysis of what they’ve found while searching for lost graves at the African American cemetery.
“It’s good to know that there were remains here. It’s sad to know that they were desecrated and that little thought was given to getting all of the bodies out before building a school. That’s the sad part, said community member Rev. Jonathan Wade. “But the good news is they finally acknowledged that there are remains.”
From here, archaeologists are expected to write up a report to present to the city of Clearwater.
In the meantime, the NAACP will be working on talking with community members so they can figure out the next step.
The North Greenwood Cemetery was in use from 1940 to 1954.