Oak Grove Baptist Church and Cemetery were established here in the early 1870s by Rev. R. E. Bell. Church minutes of 1877 describe the location as "Oak Grove, Florida." By 1886 it was referred to as "Dade City Baptist Church." In the early 1890s the congregation transferred to other local churches. The pulpit Bible was donated to Withlacoochee Baptist Church and the pulpit, pews and other furnishings "given to poor churches." The building was abandoned but the land continued to be used as a cemetery. On December 7, 1901, W.C. and J.R. Sumner, as trustees of Oak Grove Baptist Church, conveyed the church and cemetery to the Town Council of Dade City. Three weeks later, the African Methodist Episcopal Church deeded adjoining property. As Dade City's municipal cemetery, it was enlarged several times in later years. Burials date from the early 1870s and include many prominent local pioneers. The earliest graves lie near the northwest corner, adjoining the church site.
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