Dania is the oldest city in Broward County, Florida and was incorporated in 1904.  Dania City Cemetery was platted July 20, 1909 by Chas. Pratt, C.E.  Its southern border paralleled a dirt road now know as Dixie Highway Crossover, from No. 1 (Federal Highway on the east to Dixie Highway on the west. It was named Woodlawn Cemetery.

 

Initially Woodlawn Cemetery was integrated until a “colored cemetery” was created in 1937 on property nearly adjoining the old cemetery but located west of the Florida East Coast Railroad tracks (on Phippen Road) which then created two separate cemeteries.  The all black cemetery supposedly maintained the name Woodlawn Cemetery at that time.

 

All blacks that were interred in the “older” Woodlawn Cemetery by 1940 were reinterred in “colored ” Woodlawn Cemetery.  Then in 1986, the City of Dania erected a granite monument as memorial to those whose original graves were moved and at the same time, the cemetery was re-named Westlawn Cemetery.

 

The “older” Woodlawn Cemetery then had a new section added to it, also on the west side, which was named Dania Memorial Park. There is some confusion when it comes to the discussion of cemetery names when it comes to these three cemeteries.  For some refer to Woodlawn Cemetery when they in fact mean Westlawn Cemetery or possibly Dania Memorial Park. In addition, when entering Dania Memorial Park it appears you are entering one cemetery even though you will find that the Block locaters are set for only the “newer” section of Dania Memorial Park and the Block locaters for the “older” Woodlawn Cemetery are not shown at all.