The Barton Memorial Park Cemetery was originally an unofficial burial place for Boynton’s African-American community. There are no records to indicate when the first burial took place and there is little evidence to indicate who exactly is buried here.

There are twenty grave markers on the site, some of which are illegible; however, we know from records that many more people are buried here. There are fewer markers than burials as some plots would have been indicated by wooden markers which have decayed over time and others would never have been marked. The earliest legible date on a headstone is 1926; however, an undated survey of the markers indicates one of the illegible markers dates to 19131. The latest marker dates to 1983 and the cemetery is now closed for burials.

One of the best records, from c.1973-742, lists 58 burials at the cemetery; however, only 33 of the entries have names with the remainder listed as “Unknown”. The list includes a plot number for each burial but there is no accompanying plot plan to show their locations.

Although well-maintained and cared for now, the cemetery has had a difficult past. In 1948, plans were being made for the construction of a new superhighway which would pass through the cemetery and would require relocation of the burials3. Plans for the highway were still being made in 19684 and, c.1973-74, the above-mentioned burial list was produced identifying lots in the Sara Sims Memorial Gardens that were to be used for the relocations. However, it appears that Interstate 95, which passed through Boynton in 19775, was re-aligned and some of the cemetery6 was saved.

Concerns were also being raised in the 1970s over the poor condition of the cemetery7. It appears an attempt was made to clean it up in 1974 but by 1978 it was again in a poor condition8. One of the main campaigners to have the cemetery cleaned up was Mary Barton whose son, Alton, is buried there and after whom the site is named. In 1978, the city leased the cemetery and land to the south from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and, in 1979, the cemetery was restored with new sod and trees, and the park to the south was created9. In 2002, FDOT conveyed the title of the cemetery to the city.

The cemetery contains a variety of different grave marker types ranging from small concrete markers with epitaphs inscribed free-hand into the wet concrete to large concrete tombs. Interesting markers include the hand-painted stone which is a fine example of folk art, the very small concrete tomb which may belong to a child, and the tomb which has the birth year incorrectly displayed. Also of interest are the noticeable indentations in the ground which are likely to indicate unmarked burials.

In 2012, students from Florida Atlantic University undertook a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Survey of the cemetery, which identifies underground anomalies. The aerial image shows the concrete tombs marked in pink, the headstones marked in blue, and the anomalies marked with an orange cross. The anomalies all appear to lie in an east/west direction, which is usual for a Christian burial and many appear to be approximately six feet long, which is common for a burial. On this evidence it appears that some of the anomalies may be unmarked burials.

• 1. Untitled and undated survey of headstones
• 2. “Some Remember”, Boynton Beach News Journal, 1978
• 3. City Council Minutes, June 7, 1948
• 4. State Road 9, Chapel Hill Cemetery, An Unrecorded Cemetery Lying Within the Right of Way of SR.9, Palm Beach County
• 5. Farace V.K. et. al., Boynton Beach, The First 100 Years, Boynton Beach Historical Society & Friends of the Boynton Beach City Library, 1995, p.39
• 6. “Some Remember”, Boynton Beach News Journal, 1978
• 7. City Council Minutes, June 18, 1974
• 8. “Some Remember”, Boynton Beach News Journal, 1978
• 9. “Cemetery Gets a New Look”, Palm Beach Post, April 11, 1979