History of Crystal Memorial Gardens Cemetery

Crystal Memorial Gardens is a historic cemetery and was formerly known as  

Crystal River African-American Memorial Gardens.  Because of the practice  of segregation, the act of separating people on the basis of race, cemeteries were also divided racially.

Crystal Memorial Gardens Cemetery was originally belonged to Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, which was founded on October 4, 1884.  Mt. Olive MBC is the oldest black church and the second oldest church in Citrus County, Florida.

NOTE:  

1) Citrus County, FL  was created in 1887. 

2) The town of Crystal River, FL was created in 1903 and formally incorporated on July 3, 1923.

Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church deeded the Crystal Memorial Gardens Cemetery to the "Community"  in 1976.  A community based Board of Directors was created to operate the cemetery that is still in place today.