Embarrassing, that's how Robert Miller Jr. describes the conditions at the historic Evergreen Cemetery in West Palm Beach.
“I see broken tombs and a headstone cracked,” said Miller.
Miller has more than 15 relatives buried there along side some of the city’s most influential black citizens.
“I have peace and solitude when I come here and just sit on my mother's grave.”
Evergreen is on the north end of the city off Rosemary and 25th Street. A viewer alerted us when she noticed a crypt with cracks large enough to see bones inside.
“When you have people coming to this historic cemetery and they see stuff like this. It’s embarrassing."
The city of West Palm Beach manages this cemetery along with Woodlawn Cemetery on South Dixie Highway.
Miller says he feels like the city pays much more attention to Woodlawn and would like to see this cemetery look just as nice.
“So when people do come to the historical cemetery, at least they'll look presentable and not look at bones and all that stuff,” said Miller.
The city says it inspects Evergreen Cemetery 1-2 times a month.
The city says the conditions of the crypts and headstones are ultimately the responsibility of the relatives, but out of respect and safety, city workers will pour concrete over holes and cracks when it is brought to their attention.
The city says Woodlawn is still an active cemetery and people still get buried there. That is not the case at Evergreen which is officials say there is more continuous work at Woodlawn.
The City of West Palm tells me an inspection is scheduled for tomorrow,and they plan to look for the issues we brought to their attention.
