Tolomato Cemetery

St. Augustine, Florida

February 24, 2022

The Tolomato Cemetery is the resting place of over one thousand St. Augustinians. Many of the deceased buried here were majorly important to the history of Florida, making this cemetery filled with stories and legends. The gravesite holds people from all over the world, revealing St. Augustine's rich history.
Tolomato Cemetery Website

Exterior 1

Exterior 2

Artifact 1

Elizabeth Forrester died in 1798 at the young age of 16 years old. She was buried in this above-ground vault made with beautiful and luxurious marble ledger stone, confirming that she came from a wealthy family. This grave is the oldest existing marked burial in Florida.

Artifact 2

This touching memorial lists the names of the parents and children of the Benet family. After the death of Hanaro Thomas Baya's and Mary Carmen Benet Baya's second child, Agnes Teasdale, in 1865, the family only continued under this misfortune. In 1868, they tragically lost their other three children: Franklin Dibble, Louise Porcher, and baby Mary Carmen. The mother passed away on the same day as her newborn. The husband/father established this grave as the last member of the once happy family. He lived a strong life; honoring his family until he passed away in 1912. 

Visual In Conversation 1

https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/florida/articles/brief-history-orlandos-greenwood-cemetery/

Greenwood Cemetery is a historic cemetery located in my hometown, Orlando, Florida. It was established in 1880, but until then residents lacked a fixed burial site, which resulted in many misplaced burials and uncertainty. Following a sensational newspaper campaign, eight Orlando residents collaborated to purchase 26 acres of land from John W. Anderson. Greenwood is home to a number of well-known residents, including T.G. Lee, Bob Carr, Samuel Robinson and more. 

Visual In Conversation 2

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65978324/hanaro-thomas-baya

Although his wife is buried in the Tolomato Cemetery in St. Augustine, Florida, Hanaro Thomas Baya is buried at Saint Mary's Cemetery in Jacksonville, Florida. Baya installed his wife's grave as a sacred memorial of her and their children. However, he lived to the age of 75 and died in 1912, after spending his long life honoring his family. 

Literature In Conversation  

Excerpt from "One Hundred Love Sonnets" by Pablo Neruda 

"I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where, / I love you directly

without problems or pride: / I love you like this because I don’t know any other way

to love, / except in this form in which I am not nor are you"

In these lines, the speaker is summarizing his love for a woman. He spends the

whole poem describing his feelings toward his loved one: what the love is versus

what is not. He wants to use this poem to remember his life with her and how he

felt being with her. Similar to the speaker of the poem, Hanaro Thomas Baya

wanted to memorialize his life with his wife and children. His love for them lasted

much longer than their lives, and he wanted to create something to make sure it

lasted forever. 

Creative Component

This symbol is placed on a plaque on the outside wall of the Varela Chapel. I drew the symbol, which is called tempus fugit or time flies.