Cemetery Records
Laurel Grove Cemetery opened in 1852 and the “Keeper’s Records” for Laurel Grove South were hand-written in seven ledger books between 1852 and 1942; however, volumes 1 and 5 have not survived.
The Keeper’s Records from Laurel Grove South were not transcribed during the Work Program Administration of the Great Depression as were the records from Savannah’s other Victorian cemeteries. The earliest records were transcribed into a book titled Laurel Grove Cemetery Savannah, Georgia Volume I (1852-1861) produced by the Georgia Historical Society which includes records from both Laurel Grove North and South Cemeteries. Copies of these indices are available at the Bull Street Branch of the Liveoak Public Library and at the Georgia Historical Society Library. Copies may also be purchased from the Georgia Historical Society.
Interments at Laurel Grove South continued to be hand-written in the “Laurel Grove South Burial Book” (1943-1956) and in card files which are available at the satellite office of the Department of Cemeteries located in the Laurel Grove Administrative Building. Staff assistance is required to retrieve information from the card files.
A major effort was launched in 2000 to recover records from grave markers and monuments in the cemetery. Students from Savannah State University, Armstrong Atlantic State University, and the Savannah College of Art and Design surveyed the entire cemetery recording what information was available. This information is currently in the W. W. Law collection.
A major effort has been underway since 1997 to enter all municipal cemetery records on an electronic database which will be available to the public on the World Wide Web. The data entry portion is nearing completion; however, considerable time will be required to double check, verify and correct this data before it is available to the public. It is projected to be available by 2008.
Since many of the graves in Laurel Grove South Cemetery are unmarked and the records do not include cemetery lot numbers, it is often difficult to locate graves in this cemetery. The cemetery staff frequently relies on information provided by descendants and family members. |
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