Delray Beach has announced the addition of two new mausoleum buildings at the historic Memorial Gardens Municipal Cemetery, which has served the community since 1903, according to the City of Delray Beach website.
With all burial plots currently occupied, the new mausoleums will provide over 2,000 additional spaces, helping meet the growing demand for interment spaces. This expansion will ensure the cemetery continues to serve as a place of remembrance for the city's pioneers, civil rights activists, and former mayors. The City of Delray Beach also confirmed that services for those with pre-purchased plots will continue uninterrupted.
The cemetery's historical significance was recently highlighted by the 2024 Historic Resource Survey, which confirmed its eligibility for historic designation. Funded by a state grant, the survey explored the cemetery's history from 1902 to 1974, covering periods of war, economic changes, and social upheaval. Notable figures such as Solomon David Spady and Charles Spencer Pompey are buried there. The City of Delray Beach is now working to have the cemetery recognized on both Local and National Registers of Historic Places.
