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Historic resource survey recommends local designation for Delray Beach Memorial Gardens' historic section
Summary
City staff and a consultant presented a completed historic resource survey of Delray Beach Memorial Gardens, noting 1,202 historic graves in a roughly 5-acre historic quadrant and recommending local designation; the board voted to recommend designation and expanded research and interpretation.
City staff presented a completed historic resource survey for Delray Beach Memorial Gardens on Jan. 15 and the Historic Preservation Board voted to recommend designation of the cemetery's historic section, citing the survey's documentation and potential for interpretation and grant funding.
Michelle Hoyland (principal planner) summarized the consultant's work: the cemetery totals about 29 acres, with a roughly 5-acre northeast quadrant identified as the historic portion. The city applied for and received a $50,000 small matching grant for the study; Hoyland said the award included $18,152 in federal funds and $31,750 from the Florida legislature. The consultant cataloged and photographed headstones and placed GPS markers for individual burials in a public GIS web tool.
Hoyland said the consultant recorded 1,202 historic gravesites and set the period of significance for the survey as 1902 to 1974 (50 years prior to the study year). The report documents early plat maps, fundraising and plot sales (single plots sold for $1 and family plots for $5 in the early twentieth century), and notable individuals buried there, including early Black pioneers and Delray Beach civic figures. She noted the cemetery's history includes a segregated section and documented flood impacts that may have shifted gravesites.
The consultant's recommendations in the report covered maintenance guidance, signage and interpretation, security and fencing repairs, and further archaeological work (such as ground-penetrating radar) where appropriate. Hoyland said the city will make the final report and an interactive GIS map available online; clicking a burial on the map will show the headstone photo and available data for genealogical and research use.
Board members expressed support and moved to recommend local historic designation for the studied portion of the cemetery, adding language that the City should expand research and interpretation (for example, to better document persons identified by oral history). The motion passed on a voice/roll-call vote with all members voting yes.
Hoyland said staff will present the recommendation to the City Commission (a local register/LDR amendment process that includes Planning & Zoning and commission hearings) and noted future grant opportunities for signage, preservation, and interpretive projects. The board also asked staff to ensure the interactive GIS photographs load correctly and to circulate the presentation.
