Saints and Sinners Cemeteries (VO7067&VO7068)
Site Brief:
Founded: unknown
Location: Oak Hill, FL
Additional name(s): N/A
Affiliate group(s): N/A
History:
In the 1860s, Bill Williams, a freed man, owned land in Oak Hill, FL. He built a school and church on this land to serve the Black community in that area. As the area grew, due to the production of the Florida East Coast railway, William created two cemeteries. One cemetery was named the Saints and the other one was named the sinners. Church members were buried in the saint’s cemetery.
While the area has been through neglect over the years, community members have held cleaning days to recover the plots, learn the history of the cemeteries, and honor the people who were laid to rest. In 2022, 416 acres of the surrounding area the cemeteries were sold to developers. The community is working hard to ensure that the people laid in these cemeteries will not be disturbed by upcoming development plans.
The community is working hard to archive and recover the headstones in the cemeteries.
