African Cemetery at Higgs Beach
National Register of Historic Places

African Cemetery at Higgs Beach

Key West, Monroe County, Florida
Listed
June 25, 2012
Type
Site
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
12000362

About this property

The African Cemetery at Higgs Beach is a cemetery in Key West, Florida, where nearly 300 Africans were buried in 1860. In 1860, the United States Navy intercepted three ships that held 1,432 Africans and were engaging in the illicit slave trade. The Africans were rescued and held in quarantine. During this time, 294 people died and were buried at Higgs Beach. The cemetery was discovered in 2002 using ground-penetrating radar. On June 26, 2012, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Location

1001 Atlantic Blvd.
Key West, Monroe County, Florida
24.54805, -81.78615

Categories

HISTORIC - NON-ABORIGINAL
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

West Martello Tower
Industrial
0.1 mi
Gato, Eduardo H., House
Industrial
0.6 mi
HA. 19 (Japanese Midget Submarine)
Industrial
0.6 mi
Key West Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0.8 mi
Hemingway, Ernest, House
Industrial
0.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was African Cemetery at Higgs Beach listed on the National Register?

African Cemetery at Higgs Beach was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 25, 2012.

What type of historic resource is African Cemetery at Higgs Beach?

African Cemetery at Higgs Beach is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for African Cemetery at Higgs Beach?

The period of significance for African Cemetery at Higgs Beach is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1860.

Can I research the history near African Cemetery at Higgs Beach?

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