Oakland Cemetery
Oakland Cemetery is located at 248 Oakland Avenue, at the corner of Oakland Avenue and Memorial Drive. Named for the numerous oak trees that cover the 48 acre site, it is easy to find right off of both I-85 & I-20. The easiest way for most is to take I-20 East, and get off on the Boulevard exit, then turn left towards Memorial Drive. There is a free parking lot outside of the entrance that is more than large enough to handle a hundred or so vehicles, so parking is not an issue. If you are a mass transit kind of person, the King Memorial MARTA station is less than 100 yards from the entrance as well.
From the moment you walk in through the arched brick gate of the cemetery you are met with iconic figures from Atlanta's past. Originally the founded as the junction point between the Western and Atlantic Railroad lines from Chattanooga, and the Georgia Railroad line from Augusta, Atlanta was first known as Terminus. That name didn't last long, and in 1843 the town was rechristened Marthasville in honor of the daughter of Governor Wilson Lumpkin. Within a few yards of walking into the cemetery you will meet Martha on the right. Progressing towards the bell tower, which was used in the cold winters to house bodies until the ground thawed, you will pass other iconic figures from Atlanta's past, such as Moses Formwalt (Atlanta's first mayor), Maynard Jackson (Atlanta's first black mayor), many other names metro-Atlanta residents will recognize like Edwin Ansley, Alfred Austell, and Jonathan Norcross. Arguably the most visited grave in the cemetery though belongs to one of America's greatest writers, Margaret Mitchell. The author of the classic novel Gone with the Wind, which tells the story of the impact of the Civil War on the South, Margaret Mitchell Marsh was struck by a car crossing Peachtree Street in 1949, and has rested here by her husband ever since. The other contender for the most visited grave is that of golf legend Bobby Jones. Bobby Jones was an amateur golfer who was the dominant figure in the world of golf throughout most of the 1920's. Designer of Augusta National Golf Course, and the founder of the Masters, Jones is one of the most famed sports figures from Atlanta's past. You can see today, nearly half a century after his death that visitors still like to bring him a gift.
Oakland Cemetery is one of the few cemeteries in the United States that I have visited that can match the opulence of their European counterparts. While you walk around you will notice tombs and mausoleums that demonstrate an age long passed where competition extended even in death. Each generation of residents built bigger and bolder tombs. Some contained stained glass images of Jesus, while others had twenty foot tall pillars with angels guiding the departed into the after life. Oakland Cemetery not only is the final resting place for thousands of prominent citizens from the 19th Century, but also is home to people of all races and religion that called Atlanta home and died helping to build Atlanta into the the most influential city in the South. There is the tightly packed Jewish section which is divided between Russian and German Jews, Potter's Field that is the home to thousands of poor citizens who couldn't afford to pay for a burial and lie in unmarked graves, and the section dedicated to influential black families from the turn of the 20th Century.
While celebrities and political leaders are everywhere, the heart of Oakland Cemetery is that of a military burial ground. More than 7,000 soldiers, from both the Confederacy and Union, are buried there. The vast majority are Confederate soldiers, and more than 3,000 of the soldiers remain unknown victims to this day. You will also see the grave of Confederate General John Brown Gordon, the general who actually brought the Confederate Army in after Lee surrendered at Appomattox. Gordon would go on to be a governor and senator from the state. One of the most iconic sites in the cemetery is that of the Lion of Atlanta. Built in 1894 out of Georgia Marble, the lion lies over the unmarked graves of Confederate soldiers guarding them for eternity. The lion rests atop a Confederate battle flag, but while many people believe he is sleeping, seldom notice the broken spike sticking out of his back symbolizing the death of the Confederacy. Another iconic site is the memorial pillar standing in the center of the cemetery. When it was built it was the tallest point in the city. Throughout the 20th Century many of the graves of soldiers fell into disrepair. Headstones were toppled, and graves were left to decay. Thanks to the work of several volunteers in the 1990's, most of the headstones were unearthed and restored to their proper position, making Oakland Cemetery one of the great war memorials in the nation. As you are walking around look for the difference in the headstones throughout the site. Any headstone with a point on the top is that of a Confederate soldier, while any headstone with a rounded top is the burial site of a Union soldier who died while occupying Atlanta in 1864. As you walk towards Memorial Drive, you will also find the often overlooked grave of James Calhoun, the cousin of famed South Carolina lawmaker John C. Calhoun, and the mayor of Atlanta during the Civil War. One last unique site on the corner of the military portion of the cemetery is that of a small tree. Archaelogists discovered under the tree hundreds of arms and legs which were buried there following the war. The tree was planted as a reminder of the physical sacrifice many had to make on both sides of the line.
If you have a free afternoon, and want to learn about the history of this great city, take a walk through these historic grounds. Stop by the visitor's center for books about the city, and ask questions from some of the guides that work there. If you want to take an organized tour through the park there are several groups that run them on a pretty regular basis. No matter what, go through it slowly and observe how this great city was brought to its knees following the Civil War, but rose again like the mythical Phoenix, a bird that now is the symbol on the flag of the City of Atlanta, and has become an amazing home to millions of wonderful people.
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