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Sunnyside Cemetery getting a larger footprint
The expanded burial ground will include more options for traditional burial and cremation interment.
Established in 1895, Sunnyside Cemetery is one of St. Petersburg’s oldest burial grounds.
The cemetery, located at 5300 19th Street N., is being expanded – the owners acquired new land for the first time in decades. Work has been underway for several weeks; the project will tentatively be completed by next spring.
A ceremonial groundbreaking is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 17.
Acquired in 2021, the adjacent land for the project once held a single home. A concrete wall divided the cemetery from the expansion area. However, it has since been removed, said Foundation Partners Group director of sales and cemetery operations Joel Colson.
A new wall will be constructed to separate the larger burial ground site from the nearby residential area.
Colson said the expansion project was important to ensure new generations of local families can potentially be laid to rest near their loved ones.
A recent rise in cremation also played a role. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the 2025 cremation rate in the U.S. is projected to be 63.4%, in comparison to a 31.6% rate for traditional burials.
The current footprint of the cemetery only has limited options available for cremated remains, Colson said. Along with cremation interment, the new land will provide 350 to 375 spaces for traditional burial.
The expansion will include more ground spaces, private estates, benches, multiple community columbariums (niches for ashes) and cremation benches and pots. Foundation Partners Group will plant more trees and update sidewalks.
Regulatory procedures, permitting and organizational changes delayed the expansion process. Final approval from the City of St. Petersburg was received within the last two months, Colson added.
Founded as the Ellis Graveyard, the cemetery was at first a burial ground for the Nathaniel Ellis family. By 1904, it was acquired by John O’Berry and the Sunnyside Cemetery Association was established. A year later, it became a public burial site.
Notable interments include Walter John Hoxie and his daughter Mary Day, who both played a role in the development of the Girl Scouts of the USA.
