Union Grove Cemetery also known as Harlem was established in the 1800s which borders a national forest called Entoniah. It is not one of these cemeteries for the faint of heart as you must take a dirt road which twist and turns dead ending in the woods. The community of Harlem was established in the mid 1800s of course it no longer is Harlem but rather consumed by a few ranches in the area. The cemetery is extremely in seclusion and lays forgotten.

The cemetery is in deplorable condition the gate is covered in vines, the grass grows in some areas up to 5' tall. In one corner of the cemetery a tree grows so thick that its branches touch the ground...while one grave sits on one side of the cemetery and dozens opposite of that. The side with the one grave is probably not the only burial as from my research their are actually many unmarked burials so no telling how far back the cemetery dates back to. 

The oldest grave I am aware of is an M.J. Varnes followed by another Varnes family member. There are a few graves then from 1901 till about 1945 then it took almost 40 years to integrate its final burial here in 1982 of a 100 year old man by the name of John Weaver. From that point on the cemetery has really been neglected. 

Some of the stones are broken in half, others tilted, wrought iron is rusted covered in brush, while some stones are hand carves and one stone has a rusty coffin can in front of it. Many of the stones are illegible accept for the name on it.  It is what it is a spooky place very quiet, very cold, constantly feel watched, and not a very comfortable place to be at. You have woods all around you and its a dead end road their is no easy way to just pull out and leave.

Out of all the cemeteries I visited in Old Florida I felt the strongest energy present here. I kept looking over my shoulder constantly its like the unseen was gliding past me everytime my back was turned. Like they were moving all around me constantly that is just how I felt here. Most of the people buried here started the community of Harlem from 1856 and they were early pioneers trying to survive in the heart of Florida's harsh tropical forest. The cemetery before it was called Union Grove was called Harlem but when the community died a new name was given to this place. 

It also is in the heart of Bardin Booger territory a creature that has been sited in the area. It is a prime example of what old Florida cemeteries are all about and the photos will speak for itself!

© By

Lord Rick