Tag Archives: Baldwin County

Black History, Cemeteries, Georgia, Vernacular Headstones

Randolph Cemetery-Baldwin County, Georgia

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Portal to Randolph Cemetery in Baldwin County

Located on a side street on the outskirts of Milledgeville is one of the most impressive folk funerary monuments I’ve had the opportunity to document. The arched entryway for the Randolph Cemetery honors the Knights of the Pythias, Lodge 47. I would assume, minimally, they helped build this arch, but they likely had a hand in the start of this cemetery

The first Black KoP lodge was started in 1880 in Mississippi. I have not located much history about the Black history of KoP lodges in Georgia.

“He watches over me.”

The shield on the right represents the Knights of the Pythias. The F, C, and B stands for friendship, charity, and benevolence. They are often flanked by swords, battle axes, or a spear to represent the weapons they used to fight their enemies.

Cora Wright Randolph, 1874-1926. Notice the handprint on the headstone.

Abandoned, Georgia, National Register of Historic Places

Walker Building-Milledgeville, Georgia

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On July 27, 2023, it was announced that Governor Kemp authorized the demolition of four buildings on the Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, Georgia. The Walker Building is one of the buildings slated for completion, which isn’t a surprise because you can see the sky looking up through the windows. It was built in 1884 to serve as the admission ward for white males. It was used until 1974. It is my favorite building on the hospital’s campus.

Cemeteries, Georgia, National Register of Historic Places

Cedar Lane Cemetery-Milledgeville, Georgia

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Cedar Lane Cemetery, also known as Asylum Cemetery, served as one of four cemeteries for the population of Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, Georgia. While the earliest burials were at Memory Hill Cemetery, the city’s cemetery, this burial ground opened in 1854.

In 1997, a committed group of employees and volunteers worked to restore the cemetery under the guidance of the Georgia Consumers Council and the state of Georgia. They found many of the metal markers, known as stobs, in the nearby wooded area and edges of the cemetery. It is believed the grounds crew did this to make it easier to maintain the landscape. These metal markers were crafted on-site starting in 1911. They replaced the wooden markers that were in use. Since it was unknown where the markers were within the cemetery, the 2,000 stobs were placed in rows.

While most of the cemetery is without headstones, there are a handful of markers throughout Cedar Lane. Patients’ families placed the headstones.

Cedar Lane Cemetery and the other cemeteries are believed to be the final resting place for over 25,000 patients. After restoration, a memorial plaque was placed along with a gazebo and gates. A bronze angel, created by Don Haugen, was erected at the end of one of the roads.

Cemeteries, Famous People, Georgia, National Register of Historic Places, Symbolism

Flannery O’Connor at Memory Hill Cemetery-Milledgeville, Georgia

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Flannery O’Connor (1925-1964) was an American writer for her novels and short stories. Her final resting place is next to her parents in Memory Hill Cemetery in Milledgeville, Georgia. Despite being born in Savannah, Milledgeville was Flannery’s home. Her family moved there when she was fifteen and lived there until her passing at 39. Her childhood home and the family farm, Andalusia, still stand in Milledgeville.

Whenever I’ve visited her grave, there have been flowers and other mementos. When I took this photo, someone(s) had left behind coins as a sign that someone visited. The IHS symbol stands for Iesus Hominum Salvator, which means Jesus, savior of mankind, or it can stand for the first three letters of Jesus’s name, iota eta sigma.

Black History, Cemeteries, Georgia, National Register of Historic Places, Vernacular Headstones

Lizzie Jackson Marker-Milledgeville, Georgia

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A beautiful handcrafted headstone in Memory Hill Cemetery

At one point, it’s been documented that there were a handful of similar terra cotta markers like this one in the African American section at Memory Hill Cemetery. It is believed this marker was made at the McMillan Brick Company, a leading brickmaker in Milledgeville. It is believed the designs were made from stamps in the pottery shop at the brick factory.

The designs on this marker feature a sunflower, acanthus, and diaper (the crisscross pattern).

Georgia, National Register of Historic Places

Powell Building at Central State Hospital-Milledgeville, Georgia

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If you live in Georgia, you know about “Milledgeville” or Central State Hospital and its several thousand acre campus that, at its peak had over 13,000 patients being treated, or mistreated in many cases, for a variety psychiatric illnesses. It began in 1837, Georgia lawmakers approved the creation of a “Lunatic, Idiot, and Epileptic Asylum.” The Powell Building is one of the few remaining buildings still in use today. Most of the campus has fallen in disrepair.