Memorialized as two cherubs are Pearce (1892-1895) and Julia (1904-1906) Wheless. This was carved by John Walz and is located in Bonaventure Cemetery.
Wheless Children Monument at Bonaventure Cemetery-Savannah, Georgia
Category Archives: Symbolism
Hugh and Louise Inman markers-Atlanta, Georgia
Fulton County
Louise and Hugh Inman were born to Hugh and Josephine Inman. The Inman family was a prominent Atlanta family. Being a family of means, they were able to employ someone to create death masks of their children.
Death masks are masks made of wax or plaster created after death as a permanent portrait of the deceased. Death masks appear different than other sculptural elements on cemetery markers because the features appear unique from mass-produced markers.
Clayton Smith (1897-1897)-Jackson, Georgia
Butts County
Clayton Smith only lived a mere five months. His marker can be found in the Jackson City Cemetery.
Many children did not live past the first few years due to illnesses like diphtheria. The cherub is almost exclusively seen as markers for young children and represent innocence. The dropped cloth can represent the earthly ties that someone leaves behind as they descend to heaven.
Circular Congregational Church Burial Ground-Charleston, South Carolina
Founded in 1681, the Circular Congregational Church is one of the oldest churches in continual use in Charleston. The burial ground, also known as graveyard since it is next to the church, is the oldest one in the city. The first burial occurred in 1695.
Many of the grave markers are made of slate and carved in New England. The tympanic markers illustrate the evolution of grave symbolism. Skull and crossbones were part of the earlier designs, but they evolved to angels and portraiture. The graveyard contains the most slate markers in a Southern state.
Old City Cemetery-Sandersville, Georgia
Founded in 1836 and expanded in 1868, the Old City Cemetery is located in a 4.5 acre plot of land near the town center. The cemetery features several different types of markers that represent the change in marker styles. For a smaller cemetery, it contains several Victorian monuments. I featured many of those here.
It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
Riverview Cemetery-Canton, Georgia
Located in Canton, Georgia, Riverview Cemetery is one of the older cemeteries in Cherokee County. The Brady Monument memorializes Thomas Brady, the sculptor for the Lion of Atlanta that used to be in Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta.
