Oaklawn Cemetery

"Highly Respest those who are Resting here.. At this historical Cemetery.. But the maintenance on such historical Cemetery should be kept in better condition.."

"This is a very interesting place to visit. There is a lot of Tampa history here. I wish the city would give it the proper maintenance that it deserves."

"A place to memorialize a bygone time in History.A place for the living. A place of peace. A place of once upon a time."

"There is a lot of Tampa and Florida history here. This cemetery brings the past to life. I recommend it to everyone even if you don't like history or you feel uncomfortable at cemeteries."

"This is a great place to visit if you're into Tampa history. It's Tampa's oldest cemetery, located in what was once the northern outskirts of town. Oaklawn has grown to encompass other smaller cemeteries on this block, like the old St. Louis Catholic Cemetery. You can find former mayors, governors, Confederate soldiers, yellow fever victims, shipwreck casualties, Cuban pirates, a once-prominent Tampa mobster who was murdered, and Hillsborough County's first pioneer family. The grave of William Ashley is located here, which is interesting due to the fact that he is buried with his ex-servant turned partner, making this possibly the first interracial burial in Tampa. On a more poignant note, there are a few graves of slaves, with headstones simply listing their first name, year of death, and method of death: hanging. Despite being across the street from the HARTline terminal, a few blocks from the I-4/275 ramps, and right by all the hustle and traffic of Downtown Tampa, Oaklawn is able to retain a somewhat peaceful charm. The cemetery itself is safe during the day, but I wouldn't visit it at night. The city locks it up and patrols it, but there is evidence of some homeless people sneaking in and sleeping there at night. Overall, Oaklawn Cemetery is a must-see place for anyone who is into Tampa and Florida history, as well as those who claim that Tampa has no history dating from before air-conditioning was invented."