ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The St. Augustine National Cemetery is one of only six properties in all of Florida to be recently included in the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.
More than a thousand headstones cover the ground at the cemetery located in St. Augustine’s historic district.
Some of the remains entombed in the earth date back to the Second Seminole War from 1835.
The pyramids on the property are believed to be the oldest memorial of any national cemetery, where the remains of Major Francis Langhorne Dade, his 98 enlisted soldiers and seven officers are, with the exception of two people.
Few people know the area’s significance more than groundskeeper Luke Imabinett.
“I'm a Navy vet myself and to be able to come out here and to take care of these vets is a privilege for me,” said Imabinett.
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Which is why Imabinett was excited to learn the cemetery was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“There's a lot of history here,” said Imabinett.
The designation means the properties are considered worthy of preservation because of the historical significance in each one.
For Imabinett the significance doesn’t go unnoticed, it’s why he takes pride in keeping these grounds pristine.
“It comes from the heart you know because these are veterans and their spouses and for what they did to protect us. I think it's an honor for me to be doing this,” said Imabinett.
The Arthur Milam House in Ponte Vedra and the Bethel AME Church in Palatka were also included in the national register.
Cox Media Group
