Monday, November 09, 2015

The Historic Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, GA


What is it about cemeteries?!

Here's the short version, as shone on Facebook shortly after we were there.

And now, the longer version....

Where was I all those 25 years when I lived in Atlanta?
The thing is, it's been there since 1850...the Oakland Cemetery.

And if you look carefully, you can see the  Atlanta skyline in the background.

Daughter Amy was the one who thought up this day trip for our free Saturday, 17 October.

 And the five us went together:  Amy, Dennis, Astrid, Nicholas and moi.

You could safely say we were all gobsmacked...

...even down to the tiniest details, inside and out.
Do you think "they" minded us peering into their final resting places?

Because famous Atlanta people are interred there, we were on a mission, with a map, to find them:
Margaret Mitchell Marsh (author of Gone With the Wind)
Bobby Jones, Jr (the "greatest amateur golfer ever," from the 1920s)
Maynard Jackson, Jr. (the first African-American mayor of Atlanta, serving 3 terms)

Some areas of the cemetery were dedicated to particular groups of people:
The African-American Grounds
The Old Jewish Burial Grounds
The Confederate Memorial Grounds

It wasn't hard to tell which were which.

But it was the individual gravestones that struck all of us, I think.

Like this one, for instance, of such a wee child.

And this one from someone's ingenious imagination.

Tombstones everywhere, in remembrance of loved ones.

Stairways to heaven, perhaps?

With plenty to remind us of ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

At some point in the middle, we walked across the street to the Six Feet Under Pub & Fish House,
across from the cemetery and overlooking it.  Who comes up with such a name for a restaurant!

You wouldn't have to ask me twice to go back to both places again one day/year.
Both were totally worth the time and effort.

Thank you, Amy, Dennis and Nicholas!


20 comments:

  1. Cemeteries are so quiet and there is so much to see. The location is wonderful, skyline Atlanta in the back. Cemeteries tell stories just by looking at the dates, some live more than a century and some only live a few years, or maybe a few weeks.
    Lunch was located at a wonderful place with the proper name... six feet down under, I will go to ashes which is okay. You did a great job making these wonderful collages, so much to see and so many memories. 'Thank you' is right. See you next year.

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    1. We ought to do this more often, as Amy often said when she was quite a bit younger. Maybe she'll find us a new place to visit next year! I hope so. :)

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  2. There is lots of inspiration there, and it does it was quite meaningful to you all. How long did you spend there?

    The restaurant looks great too!

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    1. We were there for 3.5 hours, including the lunch in between, Ruth. What a great way to spend the day...and then go back home to watch college football (even though MICHIGAN had that terrible missed punt at the end against YOU).

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  3. Great collages, Ginnie. I like cemeteries and I like to visit them, well, just during days, I wouldn't be that eager at night... :) This cemetery looks huge! A little town of the dead... I guess, you must have spent at least two hours there, or even more?

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    1. It was indeed like a little town, Petra...a good way to describe it. We were there for 3.5 hours, with lunch in the middle. I'd go back again because we didn't see it all!

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  4. Oh my gosh! Loved seeing this! You know I adore cemeteries too! When you two come back to NYC I must take you to Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. Over 400 so acres compared to Oakland's 88! I'll be blogging about it soon. Assuming the restaurant named their place after the TV program? Six Feet Under? LOVED that show! Wonderful post! Thanks!

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    1. We will gladly visit any cemetery at our fingertips, Robin, and would love to see yours there in Brooklyn. One day. It probably helped that the restaurant overlooks the cemetery, which is part of the charm of its name, of course. HA! I love that kind of creativity. :)

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  5. What an incredible place, cemeteries are amazing, thank you for reminding me that there is one near here which we haven't visited for ages... must do something to rectify that :-)

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    1. You'll have to take us there when we come visit you next year, Anne. It looks like we're getting quite a list going. :)

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  6. "Stunning" is the word that I've used to describe the Oakland Cemetery. Like you, Mom, I had no idea it existed until we visited the restaurant. I believe they said it is home to approximately 70,000 souls?! The beauty truly blew me away -- it didn't hurt that we visited during the fall season on a gorgeous day! Thank you for cataloging our time so perfectly in this great photos/collages!

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    1. Needless to say, Amy, we shared a great memory together and need to make sure we do it again whenever possible. Maybe between now and next year we can come up with something as memorable! Thank you, again!

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  7. You must have been visiting the dead end of town. At least the residents are pretty quiet.

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    1. HA HA! That's one of the reasons why I love Christmas trees, Sham, because they're so quiet. :D

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  8. Cemeteries can be a great place to get lost in thought, wonder, and often beauty.

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    1. You are so right, Tim. Exactly. And we couldn't have picked a better day!

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  9. A perfect stop to get a bite....love the name....after a day of history. I adore old cemeteries so this would be a must if I ever get back to ATL. I think they have such stories to tell of lives long past and forgotten...but not when you see the beauty and history there....I love the exploration, and trying to see what lives must have been like.

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    1. I so much agree with you, Donna. Cemeteries have so much to tell us about so many things!

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  10. Ah, cemeteries! The northwest hills of Ct would be a haven for you, filled with old local and farm cemeteries and stones made by fine old New England carvers whose styles can be distinguished. I have much more hope of havens than a heaven and expect to happily miss my last distinct days passing through the gut of a worm. Yes, cemeteries are great havens for the living and reminders to treasure the living moments as you do.

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    1. I have a feeling all of New England would be a haven for me, Ted, much like I feel about Europe since living here. I would love your cemeteries there, I'm sure. Maybe one day I'll have the chance to visit some. In the meantime, I'll keep visiting the ones I find on the side of The Pond.

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