One of the most popular things to do in Key West is to explore the city during a walking tour. These excursions enable residents and visitors to immerse themselves in the local culture. An intriguing stop is the Key West Cemetery, which was established in 1847 on Solares Hill, the highest point on the island. The site was chosen in response to the prior year’s major hurricane that washed away the original burying ground and scattered remains throughout the nearby mangrove forest. Key West is one of only a few cemeteries in the United States that primarily uses above ground burial vaults instead of traditional graves due to the high water table. The cemetery can reveal intriguing, moving, macabre, humorous and historical information about the city’s former inhabitants. The grave markers range from ornate to simple memorials. Beneath these granite, marble, bronze and cast iron monuments are stories of romance, sadness, tragedy and triumph that have made Key West one of the most unique places in the world.
Unique Key West Grave Markers
The epitaphs found in the cemetery range from the common place to the poignant and amusing that conveys the laidback lifestyle of the city even in death. Grave markers reflect the morbid sense of humor of several one-time residents with one-liners, such as “At least I know where he's sleeping tonight” and “I am just resting my eyes.” The humorous phrase “I told you I was sick” adorns the grave of well-known local hypochondriac Pearl Roberts. There are three pink granite gravestones memorializing beloved terriers and a deer-shaped marker for the Otto family’s pet Key deer Elfina. There is a marker resembling a ship’s mast, one decorated with an intricately carved Victorian-era angel and another, belonging to Archibald Yates, which is decorated with the figure of a chained woman.
Figures from Local Key West History and Folklore
The cemetery is the final resting place for numerous residents who had a significant influence on the local culture. Dr. Frederick Weedon was a friend and physician of Seminole Chief Osceola. He donated the warrior’s head to NYU. A drinking buddy of Ernest Hemingway, Sloppy Joe Russell is reported to be the model for Freddy in “To Have and Have Not.” The burial ground contains the remains of Manuel Cabeza who was lynched by the KKK for engaging in an interracial relationship and Elena Hoyos, a former patient of Carl Tanzler. The doctor’s morbid obsession for Ms. Hoyos continued for nine years after her death. Her grave was an early tourist attraction.
The cemetery contains the remains of William Curry, namesake of the Curry House mansion and Florida’s first millionaire. A monument with the bronze statue of a sailor marks the gravesite of several men killed in the sinking of the USS Maine, the catalyst for the Spanish-American War. An iron fence brought down from Washington surrounds the memorial. Heroes of the 1868 Cuban Revolution are also buried here. Ellen Mallory, considered the First Lady of Key West, is interred in the cemetery. Mallory Square, home to the daily Sunset Celebration is named in honor of her son Stephen.
Laid out in a park-like setting according to the 18th century Rural Cemetery Movement, visiting the cemetery’s picturesque foliage and landscaping is also one of the top things to do in Key West.
