Oakland Cemetery

Oakland Cemetery is an 88-acre burial ground in southeastern Atlanta, the city's oldest surviving one. It was founded in 1850 with a six-acre purchase and enlarged over later decades. A brick wall and gates from 1896 enclose hilly grounds with winding drives, old magnolia and chestnut trees, and a few surviving iron benches and lot fences. Inside are a watch house, an 1899 Romanesque Revival office building, and distinct Confederate, Jewish and Black sections. The cemetery is notable for its Victorian funerary art, from simple arched stones to elaborate mausolea. These carry Gothic, classical, Eastlake and Egyptian motifs, and the Kontz and Peck memorials are singled out. The interment records date to 1853 and include the first mayor, Moses Formwalt, as well as author Margaret Mitchell Marsh and golfer Bobby Jones. The grounds follow the rural cemetery ideal of a landscaped place for visiting and reflection. Atlanta began a restoration and museum program there in 1975.