{"nrhp_refnum":"01000035","name":"Bonaventure Cemetery","other_names":["Bonaventure Plantation","Evergreen Cemetery"],"category":"district","location":{"address":"Bonaventure Rd., 1 mi. N of US 80","address_restricted":false,"city":"Savannah","county":"Chatham County","state":"GA","lat":32.04506058150005,"lon":-81.04477499780009,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2001-02-02","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Art","Architecture","Community Planning and Development","Other-Ethnic","Landscape Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 160-acre municipal cemetery district on a bluff above the Wilmington River in Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia, begun in 1846 on part of the former Bonaventure Plantation and acquired by the City of Savannah in 1907.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the cemetery is significant in art, architecture, landscape architecture, community planning and Jewish ethnic heritage. It holds 25 historic mausoleums and over 100 sculptures by John Walz, and it follows the Rural Cemetery movement. Its Jewish chapel of 1917 is believed to be the only one in a city cemetery in Georgia.","narrative":"Bonaventure Cemetery occupies 160 acres on a bluff above the Wilmington River in Savannah. It began in 1846, when Peter Wiltberger bought the 600-acre Bonaventure Plantation and set aside 70 acres for burials. The City of Savannah bought it in 1907 and enlarged it by 1909, adding a Jewish section. Live oaks line the unpaved avenues, and the layout follows the Rural Cemetery tradition of a landscaped, picturesque burial ground. The grounds hold about 6,010 burials, 25 historic mausoleums, obelisks, iron fences and sculpture. More than 100 works are attributed to German-born sculptor John Walz, including the Gracie Watson monument. Two buildings survive: a brick gatehouse built before 1900 and a Jewish chapel from 1917, believed to be the only Jewish chapel in a city cemetery in Georgia. The cemetery was listed for its art, architecture, landscape design, community development and Jewish heritage, with a period of significance of 1846 to 1950.","period_of_significance":"1846-1950","architect_builder":"Architects Henry Urban and Henrik Wallin of Savannah; landscape architect James H. Rion; sculptors including John Walz, Antonio Aliffi, Civiletti, W.F. Pietch and Struthers; ironwork by M. Ely of Newark, N.J.","architectural_style":null,"criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"The cemetery remains open and active, operated by the City of Savannah. The former caretaker's house serves as the office and visitors' center.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:43.419475-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_GA/01000035.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/01000035/a9386e56f7-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/01000035/a9386e56f7-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Scan by NYPL","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bonaventure_Cemetery_near_Savannah_(NYPL_b11707429-G90F152_001F).tiff\" rel=\"noopener\">Scan by NYPL</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bonaventure_Cemetery_near_Savannah_(NYPL_b11707429-G90F152_001F).tiff"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/93207273","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonaventure_Cemetery","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4941210"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/georgia/chatham-county/bonaventure-cemetery-01000035/"}