Laurel Grove North Cemetery
Although Savannah can rightfully boast three Victorian cemeteries (Bonaventure -1846, Laurel Grove -1850, and Catholic -1853), Laurel Grove North is unique in that the interment rights to all of the available cemetery lots were sold out during the Victorian Era, and, as a result, this park-like cemetery probably has the highest concentration of Victorian period cemetery architecture in the Southeast. The 67-acre cemetery was designed around a natural ravine and included a large Central Green with curving roadways. A Keeper’s House, Porter’s Lodge, Gazebo, and Public Holding Vault were built by 1853, and these historically-significant structures are used by today’s Department of Cemeteries. The cemetery filled quickly due to removals from the Old Cemetery, several yellow fever epidemics and the War Between the States, all which occurred in its infancy. A portion of the cemetery was dedicated to servicemen who fought for the Confederate States of America. Laurel Grove North is a popular destination for Girl Scouts who frequent the grave of their founder, Juliette Gordon Low. The cemetery is open to the public daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A satellite office of the Department of Cemeteries is located in the Laurel Grove Administrative Building at 802 West Anderson Street. |
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