TAMPA, Fla. — An unmarked African-American cemetery could exist underneath the campus of King High School in Tampa.
- Possible cemetery under part of the grounds of King High in Tampa
- African-American cemetery dating back to the 1940s and 1950s
- Land will be scanned
Officials with Hillsborough County Schools made the announcement Friday, saying a cemetery dating back to the 1940s and 1950s - known as Potters Field - could be in an area where the scool holds its agricultural programs.
King High, located at 6815 N. 56th Street, opened in 1960.
Hillsborough Superintendent Jeff Eakins said an investigation into the possible cemetery is a top priority and that officials will be as respectful as possible.
"We have already reached out to experts who can use equipment to scan underneath the surface of the land," Easkins said. "That process will start as soon as possible."
The district said they found out about this when a concerned citizen showed them decades-old records that show conflicting information about where the cemetery is actually located.
The discovery is the second in recent months of a forgotten African-American cemetery underneath development in Tampa.
A recent Hillsborough County investigation revealed the Robles Park Village Apartment complex was built over part of Zion Cemetery, a black burial ground that dates back to 1901.
Tampa Housing Authority built Robles Park Village over the cemetery in the 1950s, even though bodies were discovered at the site. It's unclear why construction continued.
THA plans to make tear down the structures and build a memorial with historical markers over Zion cemetery.