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.
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.
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.
