The Coon Hill Cemetery, located outside of the town of Jay, Fla., is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, according to Matthew Dobson, president of the Jay Historical Society (JHS) and coordinator of the annual Coon Hill 5K Run to fund the cemetery's upkeep.
JHS recently received a letter from the Florida Department of State in response to a preliminary sit information questionnaire (PSIQ) JHS submitted.
The historical qualification comes under the criterion A, designating it as an early settlement/exploration as the oldest cemetery in Santa Rosa County and the best preserved remnant of the historic antebellum community of Coon Hill. The period of significance is around 1836 to 1920.
According to the letter, the next step is the preparation of a National Register Form.
Dobson’s research indicates: In about 1820 settlers concentrated in an area alongside a creek with fresh water flowing from both sides, later named Diamond Creek.
Coon Hill was the first town in the area and was the headquarters to receive mail and to purchase equipment and supplies and other essentials of life. The post office was located there about 1845 and closed about 1900.
All that remains of the community is the cemetery. The oldest marker is dated 1836. and there are 240 identified graves. Not all graves have headstones, some are marked with a brick, a rock, or a marker engraved, 'Unknown.'
After the settlers moved out, a concrete wall, constructed between 1895 and 1900, was put up to protect the cemetery from fire and wildlife.
“We are excited about this preliminary designation,” said Dobson. “Many of us have known the Coon Hill Cemetery was a potential candidate for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The recent correspondence we have received from the Florida Department of State now proves it.”
Dobson said he contacted the Division of Historical Resources, which gave him instructions on what documents were needed.
“I’ve enjoyed doing the research,” said Dobson. “It’s been a real history lesson for me!”
According to Dobson's research, the Coon Hill community was a forerunner of the current town of Jay. When the yellow pine timber was exhausted in the woodlands, folks started moving away from the river and closer to the main thoroughfare. The town of Jay was established at the turn of the century.
“If the Coon Hill Cemetery gets this official designation, it will be a first for North Santa Rosa County,” said Dobson. “It will be a positive mark for the Jay communities. I’ve grown up hunting, fishing, and running through the old Coon Hill wooded area all my life. It’s a peaceful portrait of God’s natural landscape.”
