Did you know that out of the 237,000 cultural and historic sites that are recorded on the Florida Master site file, 1700 of them are cemeteries? These are just the ones that are recorded too, as it is speculated that around three quarters of cemeteries in Florida have not been recorded.
With so many historic cemeteries around Florida, there are bound to be ghost stories, and with ghost stories come ghost tours for the public to enjoy a spooky night out and be educated on all the fascinating and terrifying history Florida offers.
Now here’s why this is important to the story, me, and you: Word has it this cemetery that we’re about to talk about is so scary ghost touring companies refuse to take groups into it any longer. I know, I know.
Located only three miles south of SR81 in Key West, Florida on Duval St., St Paul’s Church, and its graveyard, were established in 1832, and was the first of four churches on site. The earliest death shown on the headstones available to view in the cemetery says 1890, and the last death was in 1910, so, maybe I’m wrong, but the graveyard really wasn’t used for that long, which to me is even more unsettling. The stories coming out of this place aren’t any better.
The cemetery and the church, though now refurbished and an active, stunning church for the Key West community, are said to be haunted by several ghosts. The most popular spirit said to still be at the cemetery is the ghost of John Fleming, the husband of the woman who donated the money for the church land, asking that her husband be buried there. Story says that Fleming is resting in the cemetery, though no one knows which one is his grave. Perfect. Maybe that’s why eyewitnesses say they have seen who they believe to be John Fleming as a “flimsy white vapor dressed in 19th century attire” and “ looking upset”.
And if an angry Mr Fleming isn’t bad enough, you also have the ghost of a sea captain, and a mad “man” famous for “driving pirates out of Key West.”
As a bonus, there are also the ghosts of the deacons’ children after he mistakenly burned them inside the church when he caught his wife having an affair. All around, this place is just teeming with ghosts, so much so that apparently a lot of ghost touring companies will not take groups to this graveyard any longer.
If you would like to check out the graveyard for yourself, you need to get permission to visit the cemetery for safety, so keep that in mind. If you would like to tour the cemetery, there are some tour guide companies, such as the famous ghosts and gravestones, that still are brave enough to venture inside. You can buy tickets on the website here if you so dare.
I’ve been adding a lot of places to my “do not visit list” and this is just another edition. Have you heard of this terrifying cemetery? Would you ever go? Have you gone? Let me know in the comments!
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