“Little Martha” Ellis (1883-1896), the namesake of an Allman Brothers song, sits almost at the bottom of the hill and overlooks Rose Hill Cemetery from her vantage point. Whenever I visit, there is a new flower resting in the crook of her arm.
There’s only one Victorian sculpture in Laurel Grove South Cemetery, the historic Black cemetery in Savannah. It happens to be a John Walz, of Gracie fame. I am unable to confirm much about John and Clara Davis. At one point, I read they were shopkeepers, but I cannot recall the source.
John Walz was a German-American sculptor who moved to Savannah after visiting to help install monuments his company made for the Telfair Museum. My understanding is that no one is certain how many monuments he made for cemeteries, but it’s well-above 80.
This is one of the John Walz monuments in Catholic Cemetery. Notice the hallmark cherubs and lettering at the base of the coping.
Louisa Alexander Porter (1807-1888) was from a prominent family in Georgia. A generous philanthropist, she helped fund the beginning of the “Refuge for the Homeless” which provided housing for homeless women and children. The Louisa Porter Foundation honors her legacy.
Her monument, designed by Antonio Caniparoli, is made of Carrara marble and is listed on the Smithsonian Saving Outdoor Sculpture database. It is in Laurel Grove North Cemetery.
Every time I visit St. Marys, I photograph the Resurrection Angel, so named for the words etched at the bottom, “Awaiting the Resurrection.”
Granville Rodgers was the son of J.W. and Kathleen Rodgers. His final resting place is in Pineview Cemetery, Charlton County, Georgia.
