Following the Pulse nightclub shooting, Orlando’s most historic cemetery is housing a new chapter — albeit a painful one — of The City Beautiful’s history.

  • Orlando offered to inter 49 victims of Pulse shooting
  • Historic cemetery is south of downtown Orlando
  • Cemetery is final resting place of some of Orlando's most iconic people

The City Council waived burial fees for victims of the shooting to be interred at Greenwood Cemetery. Four victims were buried, saving families thousands of dollars.

"For us as a city, we thought it would be great to give the citizens and families a place to come and grieve,” said Don Price, the city's longtime sexton. “That's what a cemetery does."

The evening after the shooting, Price and his staff were on the phone, making plans. By Monday morning, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer had called, giving them the green light on the interments.

“He was really adamant and really passionate about us creating an area that the victims’ families could come to and remember,” Price explained of the private area, tucked along Anderson Street.

In addition, the city-owned cemetery is creating a memorial for the 49 victims, installing temporary markers, until they can raise funds for permanent stones.

"People that went to work with someone on Friday and never sees them again... They'll have a place to come,” Price said.

Founded in the 1880s, Greenwood Cemetery is the final resting place for many pioneers of Central Florida, including T.G. Lee, William R. Boone, Joe Tinker and Joseph Bumby. One of Greenwood’s first burials, according to Price, was Francis Epps, Thomas Jefferson's grandson and founder of Florida State University.

The sexton knows all of their stories, sharing the rich history with visitors each month on free tours. Donations benefit charities of choice, he said.

“To share the stories about families is amazing, because if not, people forget,” said Price, who has worked at Greenwood for 20 years. “They wanted to mix archives and the cemetery together. And they wanted to make this a place of history."

A staff of four, plus contracted workers, maintain and manage 120 acres of cemetery grounds, which Price described as a “utopia” amid the bustle of the city. Orlando itseld is very protective of the historic cemetery, allowing only filming and photos in the oldest sections. Price said that’s because in the newer areas, memories are too fresh and painful for families.

“Our job is to honor. It’s all a cemetery does,” Price said.

“Everyone who comes in here has a story. It’s just up to us to make sure that we honor that story and keep that story.”