Limona Cemetery in Brandon marks 150th anniversary

Limona Cemetery in Brandon, Florida, marked its 150th anniversary as historians and local families recalled the area's origins and those buried there.

Limona Cemetery in Brandon marked its 150th anniversary on Monday, drawing historians and families with long ties to the area. Leaders with Preserving Brandon say the settlement began as "New Hope" and grew after Judge Joseph Knapp bought 160 acres in 1876. The land was once a lemon farm, and Limona — described as Spanish for "place where lemons will grow" — became the burial site for Knapp's family and other early residents. Over time the cemetery came to include gravestones from many prominent local families, and the surrounding community was officially named Brandon in 1890. Key details: - The cemetery commemorated its 150th anniversary with local historians and community members present. - Judge Joseph Knapp bought 160 acres in 1876 and his family was later buried at what became Limona Cemetery. - The area began as a lemon farm; "Limona" is explained as meaning a place where lemons grow. - The cemetery holds gravestones of many prominent Hillsborough County family names, some of which are shared by local streets. - Historians say there are believed to be some unidentified or unmarked graves on the site, and some land remains available for new plots. - Local resident Amy Carey Lee described the cemetery as home to her ancestors; she said her father, who started the Carey Cattle Company after moving to the area in the late 1950s, died in a 1997 train accident. Summary: The anniversary brought attention to long-standing family connections and to calls from historians and preservationists to maintain the site and its history. Undetermined at this time.