Riverside Cemetery is a historic
rural cemetery
A rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of cemetery that became popular in the United States and Europe in the mid-nineteenth century due to the overcrowding and health concerns of urban cemeteries. They were typically built one to five ...
in
Macon, Georgia
Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia. Situated near the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is located southeast of Atlanta and lies near the geographic center of the state of Geo ...
established in 1887. It is approximately in size and privately owned. Over 18,000 people are interred here.
History
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.
The original 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
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
. Peter E. Dennis of the local firm
Dennis & Dennis
Dennis & Dennis was an architectural partnership in the U.S. state of Georgia which was Georgia's oldest architectural firm. It designed numerous commercial, institutional and residential buildings in Macon and other Georgia communities.
Early y ...
was the local supervising architect, and designed the Gate House in 1897. The Mausoleum building was designed by the Georgia Mausoleum Company in 1918.
A triangular-shaped
redoubt
A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldi ...
from the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
is preserved within the grounds, overlooking the
Ocmulgee River
The Ocmulgee River () is a western tributary of the Altamaha River, approximately 255 mi (410 km) long, in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the westernmost major tributary of the Altamaha. . It was built by troops under the command of Gen.
Howell Cobb
Howell Cobb (September 7, 1815 – October 9, 1868) was an American and later Confederate political figure. A southern Democrat, Cobb was a five-term member of the United States House of Representatives and the speaker of the House from 184 ...
in July 1864 in preparation for a raid that would take place during
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea (also known as the Savannah campaign or simply Sherman's March) was a military campaign of the American Civil War conducted through Georgia from November 15 until December 21, 1864, by William Tecumseh Sherman, major ...
.
The cemetery was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1983.
Notable interments
* Juanita Black, social activist whose husband was first Georgia state trooper killed in the line of duty
*
Charles L. Bowden, mayor of Macon, Georgia from 1938 to 1947 and the namesake of the
Charles L. Bowden Golf Course
*
Peter E. Dennis, architect of the cemetery
* William Arthur Fickling Sr., local businessman who inspired the
International Cherry Blossom Festival
The International Cherry Blossom Festival is held in Macon, Georgia every spring. Macon, known as the "Cherry Blossom Capital of the World," has around 300,000–350,000 Yoshino Cherry Trees that bloom around the city in late March every year. Th ...
*
Denmark Groover, Jr., state legislator known for his involvement in changing the design of the
flag of the State of Georgia
*
Andreas Gruentzig
Andreas Roland Grüntzig (25 June 1939 – 27 October 1985) was a German radiologist and cardiologist, with foundational interest, training and research in epidemiology and angiology. He is known for being the first to develop successful balloon a ...
, German
radiologist
Radiology ( ) is the medical discipline that uses medical imaging to diagnose diseases and guide their treatment, within the bodies of humans and other animals. It began with radiography (which is why its name has a root referring to radiatio ...
who developed balloon
angioplasty
Angioplasty, is also known as balloon angioplasty and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), is a minimally invasive endovascular procedure used to widen narrowed or obstructed arteries or veins, typically to treat arterial atheroscle ...
*
John Fletcher Hanson, industrialist, founder of the Bibb Manufacturing Company, and "Father of
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
"
* Parks Lee Hay, Sr., businessman who lived in the
Johnston–Felton–Hay House
The Johnston–Felton–Hay House, often abbreviated Hay House, is a historic residence at 934 Georgia Avenue in Macon, Georgia. Built between 1855 and 1859 by William Butler Johnston and his wife Anne Tracy Johnston in the Italian Renaissance ...
, now a historic museum
*
John Raymond Hope, meteorologist for
The Weather Channel
The Weather Channel (TWC) is an American pay television channel owned by Weather Group, LLC, a subsidiary of Allen Media Group. The channel's headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia. Launched on May 2, 1982, the channel broadcasts weather forecas ...
* E.D. Huguenin, cotton broker and a pecan farmer, namesake of Huguenin Heights neighborhood
*
Leonard Knowles Sir Leonard Joseph Knowles, CBE (15 March 1916 – 23 September 1999) was the first Chief Justice of the Bahamas of an independent Bahamas.
Knowles was born in Nassau, Bahamas, and was educated at Queen's College, Nassau before going to King's Co ...
, first
Chief Justice of the Bahamas
The Chief Justice of the Bahamas heads the Supreme Court of the Bahamas.
Legal basis
The position of Chief Justice is authorised by Article 93(2) of the Constitution of the Bahamas. Under Article 94(1), the Governor-General appoints the Chief J ...
after independence
* Martha Fannin Johnston, socialite who donated the land for the Girl Scout's Camp Martha Johnston
*
Ellamae Ellis League
Ellamae Ellis League, (July 9, 1899 – March 4, 1991) was an American architect, the fourth woman registered architect in Georgia and "one of Georgia and the South's most prominent female architects." She practiced for over 50 years, 41 of them ...
, architect, the first woman
FAIA
Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) is a postnominal title or membership, designating an individual who has been named a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Fellowship is bestowed by the institute on AIA-member ...
from Georgia
* Charles Reb Massenburg, owner of Acme Brewing & later superintendent of Macon Hospital
*
Hazel Jane Raines
Hazel Jane Raines (April 21, 1916 – September 4, 1956) was an American pioneer aviator and flight instructor with the Civilian Pilot Training Program. During World War II, she was part of the first group of United States women to fly military a ...
, World War II aviator, Georgia's "First Lady of Flight"
* Martha Bibb Hardaway Redding, one of the three co-founders of
Phi Mu
Phi Mu () is the second oldest female fraternal organization established in the United States.
The fraternity was founded at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia as the Philomathean Society on , and was announced publicly on March 4 of the same y ...
*
Emory Speer
Emory Speer (September 3, 1848 – December 13, 1918) was a United States representative from Georgia and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.
Education and career
Born on Sept ...
, attorney, judge and U.S. Congressman
*
George Stallings
George Tweedy Stallings (November 17, 1867 – May 13, 1929) was an American professional baseball catcher and manager. He played in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Bridegrooms and Philadelphia Phillies in 1890 and 1897 to 1898 and mana ...
, major league baseball manager
*
Young Stribling, professional boxer
* Rosa Taylor, educator in
Bibb County Public School District for over 50 years, namesake of Rosa Taylor Elementary School
*
Chauncey Vibbard, U.S. Congressman
Gallery
File:Riverside Cemetery 1.JPG, alt=
File:Riverside Cemetery 3.JPG, alt=
File:John Hansen Grave.jpg, alt=, John Fletcher Hanson grave – February 2022
File:Riverside Cemetery - Macon, GA 1.jpg, alt=, Gate House – February 2022
References
External links
Riverside Cemetery*
*
{{National Register of Historic Places, state=collapsed
Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state)
Macon metropolitan area, Georgia
1887 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
National Register of Historic Places in Bibb County, Georgia
Rural cemeteries