Historic Oakland Cemetery

Once again I was sucked into the 'underground' world of a city. This little adventure proved even more exciting to find out the famous Margaret Mitchell ~ an inspiration to romance writers the world over. First, you know you are going to a place rarely visited by the living when you get in a cab and say "The Oakland Cemetery" and the cab driver says "Where?", THEN hotel concierge doesn't know either when the cab driver asks him! After a bit of an adventure with the cab following my address specifications and a GPS unit, we arrive. I began my personalized guided tour at the Oakland Street entry.

This is the Oakland Street Gated Entrance, built somwhere around the 1890's.

Welcome...to the Historic Oakland Cemetery. There are something like 19 moseleum over the 48 acre cemetery.

Interesting engraving, and kind of spooky: "She is not dead, she is just away."

My very nice tour guide and I began at the historic bell house. The heat index for Sunday was over 100 degrees, but the heat was so worth the amazing history of this fabulous southern cemetery. In the beginning of the cemetery, the bell in the bell house would be tolled at the time the casket entered the cemetery until the casket arrived at the bell house or the plot. Just some quick history: the cemetery was established in the mid-1800's. The City of Atlanta formed at the convergence of two railroads and was originally just a small stop on the railroad. For four years, the Mayor's daughter was the original namesake of Atlanta - so Atlanta was once known as Marthasville. Within four years, the terms "Atlanta" was used to define the city because of the location of the city on the Atlantic Ocean.

The Saxon used to live in the bell house, but it has now been converted to offices and a very unique, and charming isitor center and shop. The guide began our tour here first. This is the 'basement' of the the bell house where they could store caskets until the funeral. They kept them here because it was nice and cool. Frankly - this creeped me out! Think Blair Witch Project - ...

This man built the first suburb in Atlanta. He had this statue made while he still lived. When the statue was set, he had them turn the monument so that he faced the Oakland Street entrance, because, as he said, "To see all who enter."

This cemetery probably has MANY upset spirits. The cemetery sustained quite a bit of damage from the March 2008 tornado that ripped through Atlanta. Huge, ancient trees and tall headstones lay broken and demolished all over the cemetery.

This statue was near the bell house. A woman in misery, head bowed. But the thick, black, moss covering her mouth appears to be preventing her from speaking...I kept waiting for her to turn and look me in the face...

Beautiful moseleum. One thing I noticed was the lack of glass in the moseleums as well as the doors being left open.

A beautiful headstone with interesting family name.

This squirrel was staying out of the heat...or was he protecting the shadowed headstone? Could he be the eternal guard of the grave, in the form of an animal. Or is the spirit of the dead, reincarnated in animal form?

And where is this door leading??

A little note to those who pass by:

Another moseleum. This families young children died and placed two huge, copper urns on either side of the moseleum.

This one dedicated to their daughter on her 26th birthday...

Oh, and by the way...I found him...LOL

Statue of a mortally wounded lion still clutching the flag. A momnument to the unknown Confederate dead.

This man had this statue commissioned on the death of his daughter (right) and wife (left). Notice the wife looking up with an open book - this means wisdom and knowledge. The daughter looking down, a closed book on her lap - means conceled from man. The palm leaf is for Spiritual Victory, and the wreath is for memory. The cross is a testiment to their Irish backgrond.

This early doctor practiced in an age when much was unknown about death. The time when graves were installed with bells and strings leading to the deads coffin, so if they were buried alive - they could ring the bell upon waking and the Saxon would come dig them out! This doctor asked to have his throat slit upon his death to ensure he was dead.

Another explaination for 'wakes' - around the clock watching of a corpse to make sure they did not "wake up" to prove they had not died.
This angel fell from this large Congressmans headstone. Originally it had a life-size Gabrielle on top with two smaller angels on either side of him - snuffing the fires of 'life' with their horns.

This angel was placed here by the Orphanage. She watches over the children who died from the Orphanage. Her urn was full of coins ~ offerings and gifts to the Orphanage.

This moseleum has an interesting story. In the time before Altanta was a well established City and was still mostly a 'Saloon' type town - two brothers, the Hill brother - went downtown to drink. At the Saloon, they got into an argument. The fight followed them back to their apartment that night where one brother shot and killed the other. Later that night, the surviving brother turned the gun on himself. The Uncle built this moseleum around the two brothers, sealing them togehter for eternity. The moseleum has no windows or doors. He forced them to live together into eternity...

This moseleum belonged to a foreign banker. He only lived in Atlanta a short time, but loved the City so much that he built this Gothic-style moseleum - complete with gargoyles.
Beautiful dedication to a woman admired by the Community. Apparently she was always the one to visit the sick or to lend a helping hand...

And the burial plot of Margaret Mitchell Marsh. A woman who wrote an eic novel. She never would write another book after Gone With The Wind - so turned off by the publicity the epic story earned her. Legend has it that she almost didn't go to the movie premier - but the charming Rhett Butler convinced her to allow him and Vivian Lee to escort her.

Margaret's father was one of the historical preservationists of Atlanta, so I sure she heard many first hand history accounts from her father around the dinner table.

Thanks again for reading...oh, and guess who I saw while out the next day! That's right...