The Jewish population began to arrive in the mid-19th Century. Soon after, a cemetery was established that is now a part of Fairview Cemetery. Burials in the Jewish section occurred between 1845-1987.
There are two Summerville Cemeteries in Augusta, Georgia, one Black and one white. They are separated by a block. These photos are from the white cemetery. This cemetery was founded in 1824 when land was deeded by Thomas Cumming for the creation of a cemetery for the families who lived in the area known as Summerville. It’s simultaneously a family and neighborhood cemetery. It is cared for by the Trustees of Summerville Cemetery.
Some notable burials are John Milledge, George Walker Crawford, and Joseph Rucker Lamar.
The cemetery has examples of original Victorian funerary work. It is part of the Summerville Historic District.
Source: Augusta Genealogical Society. (1990). Summerville Cemetery. McGowan Printing Company.
Fergerson Cemetery was founded in 1907 when Minnie, Alice, and Annie Feegerson donated land to start a cemetery for Black residents. Since I took these photos a few years ago, there has been an effort to restore the cemetery and document as many burials as possible. It sits next to Guyton Cemetery, which was initially only for white residents.
I do not know when the cemetery was founded, but it has several incredible Victorian monuments.
Fannie (1880-1891) and Willie (1876-1880) Bell were sisters who never met. Little Willie died only a couple months before Fannie was born. These monuments illustrate how much loss some families could face in short time due to childhood diseases in accidents.
Approximately 32% of all children in the US would pass away before the age of 5 in 1885. Cholera, yellow fever, smallpox, and diphtheria were leading causes of death in the 1800s. In comparison, in 2020, childhood deaths were below 1%. (Mortality rates from statista.com).
These markers can be found in Oakview Cemetery in Albany, Georgia.
