Americus Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Also known as: See Also:Americus Historic District
Why it's listed
Oak Grove Cemetery sits at the east end of Church Street in Americus, Georgia. It was established in 1859 on land once belonging to Dr. Albert Rees, after an earlier cemetery on Forsyth Street was surrounded by houses and could not expand. The cemetery was added, together with East Church Street and several turn-of-the-century houses, to the existing Americus Historic District. Its grid of roads, iron-fenced family plots, ornate Victorian monuments made partly by local artisans, and classical mausoleums reflect the era. Burials include Charles F. Crisp, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in the early 1890s, and Dr. George F. Cooper, founder of the city's public school system. In 1880, 129 Confederate soldiers' remains were moved from Andersonville to the cemetery, and a monument followed in 1899. A Spanish-American War section and an unmarked paupers' field are also present. With many city landmarks lost, the cemetery remains a visible record of Americus residents' lives.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the cemetery has been part of Americus since 1859 and is tied to the historic district environmentally, historically and architecturally. Its Victorian monuments, mausoleums and iron fences, and its graves of local and national figures, make it the main remaining link between the community and its past after the loss of many landmarks.
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 79003319, listed September 3, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | E. Church St. and Oak Grove Cemetery, Americus |
|---|---|
| County | Sumter County |
| Listed | September 3, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003319 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Victorian-era cemetery monuments, mausoleums and ironwork; mausoleums tend toward classical design |
| Areas of significance | Art, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Cemetery owned by the City of Americus; contains one early-twentieth-century brick building used as the cemetery office. Condition checked as excellent and altered. |
| Acreage | 29 |
| Coordinates | 32.07004, -84.22201 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 79003319.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q26721421
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.