An elegant white Romanesque chapel and bell tower built in 1899 served as the cemetery sexton's residence (2nd floor), cemetery chapel (1st floor) and casket area (basement) near the center of Atlanta's historic Oakland Cemetery. The volunteer at the gift shop told us that the bodies would come by horse-drawn hearse to the side of the Bell Tower building, and could be taken directly into the deep, cool basement for temporary storage. In the wintertime bodies could be stored in the basement for several weeks if the ground was frozen, but that in the summer the bodies were allowed to be stored for only a few days.
Oakland Cemetery was added to the US National Register of Historic Places in 1976. See: (
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From the Self-guided Tour booklet:
"1. BELL TOWER (1899, Romanesque). The first floor originally housed a chapel and an office for the cemetery's sexton, who lived on the second floor. Today the sexton's office and Visitor Center & Museum Shop are on the fist floor. Historic Oakland Foundation's offices and meeting space are the second floor."
When Atlanta outgrew its downtown Municipal Cemetery, in 1849 city leaders bought 6 acres of farmland just outside of the city limits for a new cemetery. Oakland Cemetery was established in 1850 to meet the burial needs of a city that was booming due to its importance as a railroad crossroads.
Over the next several decades, Atlanta continued to grow prosper, becoming a major city that withstood the ravages of war and rebuilt itself from literally nothing more than ashes and ruins.
Over time, and facing a need to bury vast numbers of Confederate dead, the city bought several parcels of adjoining land, and Oakland Cemetery grew to encompass 48 acres of land that is today completely surrounded by the hustle and bustle of a major American city.
In the late 19th century, Oakland adopted the "rural garden cemetery" style that had been introduced in Victorian London. Oakland built lush cemetery gardens, thoughtfully laid out and landscaped with trees and flowering bushes, criss-crossed with paved carriage- and foot-paths so that visitors had easy access to their deceased family members, and could visit them in style and comfort.
Over 70,000 people are buried in Oakland Cemetery, from all walks of life. Oakland is a fascinating glimpse into Victorian and early 20th century Atlanta.
Oakland is the resting place of high Confederate government officials (CSA VP Alexander Stephens is here), and over 7000 Confederate Army and Navy members from the rank of Major General to private.
Seven white and black Mayors of Atlanta are buried at Oakland, as are the poor (both known and unknown) who died unclaimed in the city's streets and hospitals.
Margaret Mitchell (author of Gone with the Wind) is buried here, as is Tweet the Mockingbird, a beloved pet of a grieving family.
Oakland Cemetery was racially segregated, and in 1850 had been laid out with a clearly marked Slave Square for slave burials. By 1867, the slave section was needed for white burials. The city purchased more land the expand the cemetery, and the slaves were disinterred and moved to the far edges of the newly-purchased expansion tracts into the "colored pauper grounds" area. This area lacks individual markers. The former Slave Square area was replatted and sold to wealthy white families.
Two former-slaves (Georgia Harris and Catherine Holmes) are buried in the white section of Oakland: These women had especially close relationships with their former owners, and were buried (after the white family sought and received special city permission) with their white former owners in the white family's plots.
Oakland features a large section for Jewish burials, whose beautiful tall tombstones are topped with Stars of David.
For more on the history, art, and architecture of Oakland Cemetery, see their website here: (
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