Sunset Hill Cemetery
Also known as: City Cemetery
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Why it's listed
Sunset Hill Cemetery is Valdosta's oldest publicly owned burial ground, founded in 1861 when C. O. Force donated about thirty acres to the city. Expansions in 1882, 1892, 1918-1920, 1932 and 1956 brought it to roughly 66 acres, with more than 25,000 burials. Its winding paths, granite entrance gates of 1913 and a 1915 city engineer's plan gave the older eastern sections a park-like character, with live oaks, cedars and azaleas. Thirty granite and marble mausoleums, mostly Classical Revival, mark prominent local families. Notable artwork includes the Lane family obelisk, marble statues, prefabricated metal markers and a rare Italian-carved statue of Charles Strickland in his own likeness. The grounds also contain a Jewish section begun in the 1930s, a Greek Orthodox area, and an African-American section once separated by a fence, with a 1995 memorial to enslaved people buried in unmarked graves. The cemetery was recognized for its civic role, funerary art and landscape design.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is the largest historic cemetery and landscaped place in Valdosta and Lowndes County, with the area's largest collection of historic sculpture. It is significant for its mausoleums, funerary art such as the Charles Strickland statue, its role as a publicly provided city cemetery, and its park-like landscape plan of 1915.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 04000957, listed September 10, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 110 N. Oak St., Valdosta |
|---|---|
| County | Lowndes County |
| Listed | September 10, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000957 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1861-1954 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival (most mausoleums); Victorian Gothic and Egyptian Revival elements; architectural classification listed as N/A |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Art, Community Planning and Development, Landscape Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Open and active cemetery owned, managed and operated by the city of Valdosta. |
| Acreage | 66 |
| Coordinates | 30.84232, -83.29129 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 04000957.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7641290
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.