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 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 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, maj ...

. 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 ...

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 * Denmark Groover, Jr., state legislator known for his involvement in changing the design of the flag of the State of Georgia * Andreas Gruentzig, 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 radiat ...

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, 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 foreca ...

* E.D. Huguenin, cotton broker and a pecan farmer, namesake of Huguenin Heights neighborhood * Leonard Knowles, 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, 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, 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, attorney, judge and U.S. Congressman * George Stallings, 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