Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Burial Grounds Found on Tampa School Property

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 11/26/19

A Florida school district recently discovered nearly 150 unmarked graves on the property of King High School in Tampa, Florida after receiving a tip.

Based on radar scans of the property, about 145 coffins were found buried three to five feet below the ground, according to Hillsborough County Public Schools.

The graves are believed to be part of the historic Ridgewood Cemetery, which was primarily a burial ground for African Americans. The cemetery opened in 1942 and the school district purchased the land in 1959. A school board member received a tip from someone who suggested there might be a cemetery on the property based on historical data.

Geophysical technicians, hired by the district, mapped and scanned the land and found “clear evidence of burials” in the area — which was used for the school's agricultural program. It contained lab facilities, a building and an open field for animals, reported NBC News.

More than 250 graves are believed to be interred at the cemetery, but some may be too decayed to be detected by radar. Records show as many as 77 of the people buried in the cemetery are infants or children.

The Hillsborough County Public Schools sent its findings to the county medical examiner and state archeologist who will review the findings and determine whether the land should be returned to the school. The school plans to relocate the agricultural building, depending the outcome of the review.

The school created a Historical Response Committee to "discuss proper ways to memorialize the individuals, how to best care for the space and learning opportunities for students at King High School and other schools."

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Architectural Power for the Modern Campus Landscape

    For generations, an outdoor classroom only required a textbook and a patch of grass. Today, not only has the laptop replaced the printed pages, the rise of agile learning has turned campuses into study halls with students listening to lectures and researching topics from quads, gardens, and plazas. The challenge for architects and facility managers is to provide connectivity without cluttering the landscape with visual eyesores or creating safety hazards with extension cords.

  • GeoCam and UCLA: Modernizing Campus Accessibility Mapping

    In early 2025, UCLA partnered with GeoCam to capture and modernize its pedestrian infrastructure data. The goal was ambitious but clear: to produce a high-accuracy, imagery-backed digital map of every sidewalk, pathway, ramp, and ADA-related feature on UCLA’s 419-acre campus.

  • Girl Sitting at Library Desk, Using Laptop

    How Campus Design Shapes the Finals Week Experience

    Academic performance is not just about preparation. It is closely tied to how students manage stress, maintain their energy, and shift between work and recovery modes. Much of that is influenced, directly or indirectly, by design.

  • Children walking along bright school corridor with motion blur

    How Next-Gen Design Is Reshaping the Student Experience

    The environments where students learn play a crucial role in shaping their growth in and out of the classroom. By centering design on well-being, flexibility, and purpose, districts can ensure their facilities remain vibrant community assets for many years to come.