top of page
A brick entrance sign with the word "MASONIC" in large letters. There are two American flags planted in the ground in front
ADDRESS

5025 Old Kings Road South
Bunnell, Florida 32110

History

This cemetery is located on the east side of Old Kings Road, 1 mile north of State Road 100 in Flagler County, Florida.

According to Flagler County records, the land for the cemetery was purchased by the Espanola Lodge Free and Accepted Masons (F. & A.M.) for the sum of One Dollar ($1.00) from Lewis Edward Wadsworth II and his wife, Angela Agusta Carpenter Wadsworth on 26 Mar 1948. The indenture is filed in Flagler County Deed Book 30, page 201.

The land for the Masonic Cemetery was purchased by the Espanola Lodge for $1 from Lewis Edward Wadsworth II and his wife, Angela Augusta Carpenter Wadsworth on March 26, 1948 (so the blacks would have a place to bury their dead).

2

Interesting Facts

  • The Masonic Cemetery is a historic testament to the old town of Bunnell, where blacks and whites were once divided by the railroad tracks of long-dead lumber and turpentine industries.

  •  The Masonic Cemetery is Palm Coast’s oldest surviving African American human landmarks.

  •  The Masonic Cemetery is private and has a gated entrance.

  •  The Masonic Cemetery holds the remains of WW1, WWII, and even Korean War veterans.

  •  The Masonic Cemetery has the remains of numerous black families that were denied burial in separate white cemeteries during the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s.

3

Burial Sites

The earliest burial found by the compiler was that of PFC Versie Lee Mitchell (16 Nov 1924-19 Jan 1944), a soldier from Bunnell, who had enlisted at Camp Blanding on 27 Mar 1943 and who drowned in Burma (Asiatic Theater) on 19 Jan 1944. According to the 03 Jun 1948 edition of The Flagler Tribune, his remains were being returned by the military and were to be buried here. His grave is marked by a military headstone and is located in the far north-west portion of the cemetery.

4

Our Commitment

A small portion of the original King's Road which the British constructed in the 1770's is located on the west side of the cemetery. On August 7, 2008, the City of Palm Coast Commission approved an agreement with the Espanola Masonic Lodge to help maintain and seek grant funding to upgrade the cemetery. On June 8, 2010, the City of Palm Coast held a ceremony to honor the museum's history and to show the public the new entry way and parking lot, the new fence around the cemetery and the landscaping on the outside of the fence.

bottom of page