In October 2024, ground-penetrating radar equipment revealed a shocking discovery: Nearly three dozen unidentified people outside the fence surrounding Line Street Cemetery in South Melbourne.

Now, this historic Black cemetery's boundaries will expand to include these bygone burial sites.

The Florida Division of Historical Resources has awarded the city of Melbourne $50,000 via the Abandoned African-American Cemeteries Grant Program to install wrought-iron perimeter fencing around these 31 once-hidden plots. Funding will also pay for an interpretative sign, an entrance alcove and a property survey.

"This blew our minds when we saw that there were all these extra graves," Melbourne City Planner Sandy Ramseth said, pointing at a map of the cemetery on her monitor. December story: Unma

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