PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. – A News4JAX I-TEAM investigation into the possible destruction of a historic cemetery in Putnam County has raised serious questions about how this could have happened.
Last week, locals voiced concerns over missing headstones after a known cemetery from the 1800s was cleared. The land is also the site of the “The Battle of Braddocks Farm.”
The property was advertised on Zillow last year without any mention of the burials on site. Property records show it was sold in August 2024 to a man and woman based in Pennsylvania.
Descriptions of the 4.2-acre property in Crescent City included calling it a “historical property with versatile potential” that was “nestled beneath a canopy of majestic oak trees.”
While that description may be accurate, it omits a critical detail—the land is home to the Braddock Mason-Denver Cemetery.
Board-certified real estate attorney Barry Ansbacher sees no issue with the Zillow listing for this burial ground because the Braddock Mason-Denver Cemetery is likely unlicensed with graves dating back to the 1800s.
Florida Law only prohibits licensed cemeteries from being sold. However, disturbing a grave is a felony offense.
“When you’re dealing with old church or Civil War historic cemeteries, they aren’t licensed, but Florida law is very clear that you cannot disturb the graves,” Ansbacher said.
Since the property was cleared, copies of the relevant state statute have been posted by concerned citizens in multiple locations on the land.
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If the parties involved in the land sale knew it was a cemetery, Ansbacher said they don’t necessarily have to include that information in their advertisements to potential buyers.
“If the seller or the listing agent for the property knew it was being used and you had grave sites on there, they would have a duty to disclose it. If there is something readily apparent, they don’t have that duty.,” he explained
A video posted on YouTube in July 2023 by “East Florida Explorer” documented the property before the sale, showing it was overgrown and not well-maintained. In contrast, footage shot by News4JAX last week shows the cemetery grounds have since been cleared and graded.
Residents and historians fear that unmarked grave sites may have been damaged and that multiple headstones are now missing. However, the property owner denies encountering any graves while clearing the land and has informed police of plans to place a mobile home on the site.
“Once you know that you’re in a cemetery, and it could be a Native American cemetery that had no headstones, or an area which had some people with headstones and some didn’t—a pauper cemetery, a war cemetery—certainly any use of that property, you’re on notice now,” Ansbacher stated. “They should be working with a state archaeologist to determine what, if any, of the property can be used, and what it can be used for.”
Unofficial cemetery records on FindAGrave.com indicate that at least 20 people were buried in the Braddock Mason-Denver Cemetery. News4JAX reporters only found six headstones remaining on the property.
A descendant of James Aldrich Braddock, whose monument still stands, told News4JAX that as many as 60 of their relatives were possibly buried at the site.
When asked whether it would be surprising to see a home built on the property, Ansbacher responded: “Depending on the acreage, there may be areas that did not have burials on it, where it would be suitable to build. But if this property has been used for its entirety as a cemetery, with or without headstones, then I can’t imagine that you would ever move forward with development on it.”
The Zillow listing also notes that the land has been “partially cleared and zoned agricultural, allowing for a range of uses. Putnam County has no provisions for, or stipulations against developing a single-family residence, mobile home or modular home on this parcel, offering endless possibilities. Letter from county is available upon request.”
Ansbacher says the agricultural zoning of the land is irrelevant if grave sites have truly been disturbed.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Financial Services are currently investigating.
Only one complaint has been made to the Putnam County Planning and Zoning Commission about the cemetery. No building plans or site surveys have been submitted to the county.
News4JAX has tried to reach the property owner for comment on this story. We have yet to receive a response.