Riverside Cemetery (Macon, Georgia)

Riverside Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery[3] in Macon, Georgia established in 1887. It is approximately 54 acres (22 ha) in size and privately owned. Over 18,000 people are interred here.[4]

Riverside Cemetery
Gate House at Riverside Cemetery, October 2013
Riverside Cemetery (Macon, Georgia) is located in the United States
Riverside Cemetery (Macon, Georgia)
Riverside Cemetery (Macon, Georgia) is located in Georgia
Riverside Cemetery (Macon, Georgia)
Location1301 Riverside Dr., Macon, Georgia
Coordinates32°51′04″N 83°38′19″W / 32.8509844°N 83.6385962°W / 32.8509844; -83.6385962
Area54 acres (22 ha)
Built1887–1889
Architect
NRHP reference No.83000183[1][2]
Added to NRHPApril 28, 1983

History

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Riverside Cemetery Corporation was founded in 1887 to create the cemetery in protest of what was seen as the city of Macon's poor upkeep of Rose Hill Cemetery nearby. That site dated from 1840 and had fallen into disrepair. The differences between the two adjacent cemeteries highlight changes in cemetery design during the 19th century, as well as the trend toward private (rather than public) ownership of these properties.[5]

The original 23 acres (9.3 ha) plan was laid out from 1887 to 1889 and was designed by Vaux & Co., one of the few commissions by the firm in the Southeast. Peter E. Dennis of the local firm Dennis & Dennis was the local supervising architect,[5] and designed the Gate House in 1897.[5] The Mausoleum building was designed by the Georgia Mausoleum Company in 1918.[5]

A triangular-shaped redoubt from the Civil War is preserved within the grounds, overlooking the Ocmulgee River. It was built by troops under the command of Gen. Howell Cobb[4] in July 1864 in preparation for a raid that would take place during Sherman's March to the Sea.[5]

The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[1]

Notable interments

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References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System – Riverside Cemetery (#83000183)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ Brooks, Carolyn (March 1983). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Riverside Cemetery". National Park Service. pp. 3–4. Retrieved April 27, 2017. With 1 photos from August 1982
  3. ^ Linden, Blanche M.G. (2007). Silent City on a Hill: Picturesque Landscapes of Memory and Boston's Mount Auburn Cemetery. Amherst, Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts Press. p. 295. ISBN 978-1-55849-571-5. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e "History of Riverside Cemetery". Riverside Cemetery. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d e Brooks 1983, pp. 3–4.
  6. ^ a b c d Walden, Katherine (October 27, 2016). "A colorful past and cultural present in Macon". Macon Telegraph. Archived from the original on October 28, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  7. ^ "Interment: Charles Loyren Bowden". Riverside Cemetery. Retrieved April 28, 2017. Lot Designation: Althea, Row C, Lot 20; includes photos & obituary.
  8. ^ "Interment: Peter Edward Dennis". Riverside Cemetery. Retrieved April 28, 2017. Lot Designation: Jasmine, Row G, Lot 2; includes photos & obituary.
  9. ^ "Interment: Andreas Roland Gruentzig". Riverside Cemetery. Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2021. Lot Designation: Dogwood, Lot 149; includes photos & obituary.
  10. ^ "Interment: Parks Lee Hay Sr". Riverside Cemetery. Retrieved April 28, 2017. Lot Designation: Honeysuckle, Row R, Lot 3; includes photos & obituary.
  11. ^ "Interment: Martha Bibb Hardaway Redding". Riverside Cemetery. Retrieved April 28, 2017. Lot Designation: Daisy, Row C18, Lot 2; includes photos & obituary.
  12. ^ Wilson, Scott; Mank, Gregory W. (forward) (2016). "Stallings, George #11997". Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons (3rd ed.). McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0786479924. OCLC 948561021.
  13. ^ "Interment: Rosa Taylor". Riverside Cemetery. Retrieved April 28, 2017. Lot Designation: Honeysuckle, Row P24, Lot 7; includes photos & obituary.
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