DOCSLIB.ORG

Oconee Hill Cemetery

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Oconee Hill Cemetery OCONEE HILL CEMETERY: ENVISIONING A LIVING LANDSCAPE by JUDSON SHEPPARD ABBOTT (Under the Direction of Eric MacDonald) ABSTRACT Oconee Hill Cemetery is an important historic landscape in the city of Athens, Georgia. However, management issues during the past decades have decreased its relevance to the local community. This thesis seeks to discover appropriate strategies to improve the current management approach at the cemetery. In order to do this, the thesis explores important background information such as the landscape’s historical context, its current management structure, and current management issues. It also studies the opinions and values of current managers and cemetery visitors. Finally, it reviews successful management models that other cemetery management teams have adopted. By overlaying these threads of information, the thesis isolates a number of appropriate and feasible strategies for Oconee Hill’s future management. Included in these recommendations are changes to the cemetery’s current management structure, an increased focus on public outreach, and the adoption of a master plan. INDEX WORDS: Oconee Hill Cemetery, Rural Cemetery Movement, Cemetery Management, Public Access, Cemetery Preservation, Public Outreach OCONEE HILL CEMETERY: ENVISIONING A LIVING LANDSCAPE by JUDSON SHEPPARD ABBOTT A.B., The University of Georgia, 2005 Kandidat, The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden, 2010 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE ATHENS, GEORGIA 2012 © 2012 Judson Sheppard Abbott All Rights Reserved OCONEE HILL CEMETERY: ENVISIONING A LIVING LANDSCAPE by JUDSON SHEPPARD ABBOTT Major Professor: Eric MacDonald Committee: Katherine Melcher James Reap Dexter Adams Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia August 2012 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to recognize the tremendous contribution that Dr. Eric MacDonald has made to this project. His instruction has served not only as a valuable guide in shaping this thesis, but also as an inspiration throughout graduate school. I would also like to thank the remaining members of my reading committee, Katherine Melcher, James Reap, and Dexter Adams, for sharing of their time and energy in the final stages of the project. Finally, I would like to thank Charlotte Marshall, the Oconee Hill Board of Trustees and the Friends of Oconee Hill Cemetery for their enthusiasm and support for this study, and for their care of the landscape at Oconee Hill. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................iv LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................viii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................1 Background .........................................................................................................1 State of Current Research.....................................................................................3 Research Questions..............................................................................................9 Research Limitations and Delimitations.............................................................10 Research Methods..............................................................................................12 Thesis Structure .................................................................................................15 2 HISTORICAL CONTEXT: THE RURAL CEMETERY MOVEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES...................................................................................................17 J.C. Loudon and the Rural Cemetery Movement................................................18 Sanitation Issues ................................................................................................19 Cemetery Placement Outside of Cities ...............................................................20 Changing Attitudes toward Death ......................................................................22 The Cemetery as Cultural Institution..................................................................23 The Use of Vegetation in Rural Cemeteries........................................................25 Rural Cemeteries as “Pleasure Grounds”............................................................27 v Southern Rural Cemeteries.................................................................................28 3 PAST AND PRESENT USES AND PERCEPTIONS OF OCONEE HILL CEMETERY ...........................................................................................................30 The Creation and First Years of Oconee Hill Cemetery: 1854-1857 ...................30 Positive Public Responses and Attitudes toward Oconee Hill: 1858-1897 ..........35 Shifting Public Perceptions of Oconee Hill: 1898-1909......................................39 Growing Management Challenges: 1909-Present ...............................................43 Chapter Summary ..............................................................................................49 4 OCONEE HILL CEMETERY’S MANAGEMENT TEAM.....................................50 The Oconee Hill Cemetery Board of Trustees ....................................................50 The Friends of Oconee Hill Cemetery................................................................54 The Sexton and Grounds Crew...........................................................................57 Chapter Summary ..............................................................................................60 5 STUDY OF CURRENT VISITORS TO OCONEE HILL CEMETERY..................61 Age and Residency of Survey Respondents........................................................61 Visitors’ Interests and Visitation Frequency.......................................................64 Visitors’ Use of Oconee Hill..............................................................................66 What Visitors Like about Oconee Hill................................................................67 User-Suggested Opportunities for Improvements ...............................................69 How Welcoming is Oconee Hill?.......................................................................70 Public Attitudes about Cemetery Access and Preservation .................................71 Levels of Appropriateness for Future Community Events ..................................74 Concluding Remarks..........................................................................................77 vi 6 CURRENT MANAGEMENT AT OCONEE HILL: KEY ISSUES ........................79 Vandalism at Oconee Hill ..................................................................................80 Public Access and Security ................................................................................82 Communication with the Public .........................................................................88 Cemetery Finances and Grounds Maintenance ...................................................89 Appropriate Future Activities.............................................................................93 Preservation Goals...........................................................................................100 Concluding Remarks........................................................................................101 7 SEARCHING FOR A MODEL: MANAGEMENT IDEAS FROM OTHER HISTORIC CEMETERIES....................................................................................103 Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia.............................................................104 Davis Cemetery District in Davis, California ...................................................112 Concluding Remarks........................................................................................118 8 RECOMMENDATIONS AND DISCUSSION......................................................120 Changes to Management Structure...................................................................121 Improved Community Outreach.......................................................................126 Adopting a Formal Plan for the Future.............................................................132 Conclusion.......................................................................................................134 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................138 APPENDICES A QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY OF VISITORS TO OCONEE HILL CEMETERY 143 B INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR MANAGEMENT TEAM INTERVIEWS ..................145 vii LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1.1: Study boundaries with UGA campus to the west and Carr’s Hill to the east.............11 Figure 3.1: Original cemetery property including East and West Hill ........................................32 Figure 3.2: Monuments in family plot on East Hill. ..................................................................34 Figure 3.3: Image of Oconee River, 1919...................................................................................36 Figure 3.4: Part of 1874 map of Athens, Georgia showing Oconee Cemetery to city’s south .....38 Figure 3.5: Image from 1924 showing a wreath on a grave at Oconee Hill ................................40
Load more

Recommended publications
  • AHS Newsletter Winter 2016
    AHS: Expanding and Sharing Knowledge of Athens History Winter 2016 Newsletter Al Hester, author of Putting on Blue (center), with current AHS President Janet Patterson and Athens Historian editor James Reap. SUNDAY, JANUARY 17 ANNUAL MEETING: ELECTIONS, PRESIDENT’S REPORT PROGRAM: AL HESTER ON HIS NEW BOOK, PUTTING ON BLUE On Sunday, January 17, at 3:00 p.m. the Athens settlement of the American West, you will be inter- Historical Society will hold its annual meeting at ested in this talk—and in his book. Putting on the Athens-Clarke County Library’s Appleton Au- Blue is a co-sponsored by the Athens Historical ditorium. The program will be Al Hester speaking Society and The Green Berry Press. It is printed on on his just-published book, Putting on Blue: Con- quality paper with crisp laser printing, and includes federates from the Athens, Georgia Area Who Be- a gallery of 45 photographs, engravings, and illus- came Galvanized Yankees. trations, many in color. The retail price is $17, but The book, in Al’s words, “is the story of 52 Con- AHS members may buy it at the discounted price federate soldiers who were captured and placed in of $12. If you order it from the AHS website, that horrific Northern prisons with little hope of quick price will include shipping. The book will also be available for sale at the January 17th meeting, release to return home. The Lincoln administration offered them freedom from prison if they would where we ask that you pay with check or cash. Al swear their allegiance to the Union and enlist in will be available for autographs after the meeting.
    [Show full text]
  • East Athens Community Assessment
    East Athens Community Assessment Final Report Community Partner East Athens Development Corporation Team Members Leslie Albrycht, Kelli Jo Armstrong, Megan Baer, Meghan Camp, Chelsea Gillus, Nina Goodwin, Emily Hui, Quentara Johnson, Julia Jones, Jennifer Korwan, Nyla Lieu, Lori Skinner, Anna Marie Smith, Kelsey Thompson, Megan Westbrook Instructor Rebecca Matthew, PhD Completed during the Fall of 2014 in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the course SOWK 7153. 12/9/2014 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... 3 Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 4 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Data Collection and Analysis.......................................................................................................... 6 Secondary Data Collection .......................................................................................................... 7 Primary Data Collection .............................................................................................................. 7 Data Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 8 Dissemination of Findings .........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Report from the Ad Hoc Committee on Baldwin Hall to the Franklin College Faculty Senate
    Report from the Ad Hoc Committee on Baldwin Hall to the Franklin College Faculty Senate Submitted to the Senate for approval, April 17, 2019 Ad Hoc Committee Chair Christopher Pizzino, Associate Professor, Department of English Ad Hoc Committee Members Mary Bedell, Associate Professor, Department of Genetics J. Peter Brosius, Distinguished Research Professor, Department of Anthropology Kristin Kundert, Associate Professor, Department of Theater and Film Studies Michael Usher, Professor, Department of Mathematics “But the past never cooperates by staying in the past. Eventually it always reaches out to us and asks, What have you learned?” Valerie Babb, at public forum Conversation about Slavery at UGA and the Baldwin Site Burials, ​ ​ Richard Russell Special Collections Library, March 25, 2017 (Chronicle of Higher Education, ​ ​ June 23, 2017) 1 CONTENTS I. Introduction: Purpose and Charge of the Ad Hoc Committee 4 A. The discovery and handling of human remains at Baldwin Hall 4 B. Events leading to the formation of the ad hoc committee 7 C. The charge of the ad hoc committee 8 D. Guide to this report: scope, structure, purpose, and use 9 II. Major Faculty Concerns 9 A. Lack of input from archaeologists during the planning of the Baldwin expansion 10 B. Secrecy and lack of community consultation between receipt and announcement of DNA results 12 C. Concerns regarding reburial practice 15 D. Treatment of issues concerning research 18 E. Official responses to valid faculty criticism 23 F. Intimidation and policing of faculty teaching activities 24 G. Institutional culture and its effects on academic freedom and integrity 25 III. Committee Recommendations for Senate Consideration 27 A.
    [Show full text]
  • FRIENDS of OCONEE HILL CEMETERY
    FRIENDS of OCONEE HILL CEMETERY Fall 2016 Trustees Lucy Erwin Allen Mark J. Costantino From the President Robert E. Gibson One of the many wonderful aspects of serving on this board is to see and learn Cissy Alexander Hutchinson first-hand about all of the ways our community gives and serves the cemetery. As I Helen Hudson Mills conclude my service as president of the Friends of Oconee Hill Cemetery, I wish to give thanks to the many members of our organization and board. It has been a real Walter A. Sams III honor to serve the members and work alongside a dedicated board. You, the mem- W. Thomas Wilfong bers, are our lifeblood. Without your generosity, we could not accomplish the many Nancy B. Denson, Mayor projects and serve the cemetery to enhance and preserve its history. The current Athens-Clarke County, ex-officio board has served with great dedication: raising funds through grant writing, seek- Board of the Friends ing new memberships as well as renewals, coordinating the rental of the Sexton’s Officers, 2015–2016 House and Wingfield Chapel and managing the funds in a most prudent manner. President, Joseph E. Tillman Vice-President/Recording Secretary Pro Tem, Nancy B. Bowen “There is no one thing to be thankful for…there are many Corresponding Secretary things for men to be grateful for in this world. Susan C. Field Each man may perceive things on a different level, Treasurer, Sue Boatright in a more pleasing way…just as some people are more Board of Directors agreeable with some than others.” Sallyanne Barrow —Jesse M.
    [Show full text]
  • Athens Campus
    Athens Campus Athens Campus Introduction The University of Georgia is centered around the town of Athens, located approximately 60 miles northeast of the capital of Atlanta, Georgia. The University was incorporated by an act of the General Assembly on January 25, 1785, as the first state-chartered and supported college in the United States. The campus began to take physical form after a 633-acre parcel of land was donated for this purpose in 1801. The university’s first building—Franklin College, now Old College—was completed in 1806. Initially a liberal-arts focused college, University of Georgia remained modest in size and grew slowly during the Figure 48. Emblem of the antebellum years of the nineteenth century. In 1862, passage of the Morrill Act University of Georgia. by Congress would eventually lead to dramatic changes in the focus, curriculum, and educational opportunities afforded at the University of Georgia. The Morrill Act authorized the establishment of a system of land grant colleges, which supported, among other initiatives, agricultural education within the United States. The University of Georgia began to receive federal funds as a land grant college in 1872 and to offer instruction in agriculture and mechanical arts. The role of agricultural education and research has continued to grow ever since, and is now supported by experiment stations, 4-H centers, and marine institutes located throughout the state. The Athens campus forms the heart of the University of Georgia’s educational program. The university is composed of seventeen colleges and schools, some of which include auxiliary divisions that offer teaching, research, and service activities.
    [Show full text]
  • Compatibility Mode
    HOSTED BY: AT OCONEE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL INDEX WELCOME INFORMATION EMERGENCIES ACCOMODATIONS. ATTRACTIONS & RESTAURANTS Dear Little League Family, Oconee County Little League (OCLL) is pleased to be hosting the 2016 GA Senior League State Tournament this season. Our hope is that this will be an enjoyable tournament for each of the leagues represented. We are here to make your stay and experience in Athens as enjoyable as we can. Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you while you are visiting here with us. OCLL would like to thank Oconee County High School for allowing us to utilize the high school baseball field for the tournament. If you have any issues during your time at the park, please look for an OCLL staff person. The tournament director for the Senior League Tournament will be the OCLL Executive Vice President, Eric Kincaid. He will be working closely with the District 10 Administrator, Robin Scott to make sure the tournament goes smoothly. The weather hotline for the parks can be reached at 706-769-2965 for current updates. Once again, OCLL hopes you have a successful, winning and enjoyable tournament. Good luck to all teams! Brian Kimsey President Oconee County Little League LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL GEORGIA DISTRICT 10 Welcome to the 2016 State Senior League Baseball Championship. It is an honor and a pleasure for me to welcome each of you to the 2016 Senior League Tournament. All of the players participating in this Tournament deserve our Congratulations for their outstanding accomplishments and dedication to athletic excellence and teamwork.
    [Show full text]
  • 5T H International Semantic Web Conference
    5 th International Semantic Web Conference November 5 – November 9, 2006 Georgia Center for Continuing Education Athens, Georgia, USA http://iswc2006.semanticwe.org WELCOME MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL CHAIR....................................................................................2 CONFERENCE CHAIRS...........................................................................................................................................3 ORGANIZER ..............................................................................................................................................................4 FUN THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN ATHENS........................................................................................................5 CONFERENCE VENUE ............................................................................................................................................8 CONFERENCE MAPS.............................................................................................................................................10 BUS SCHEDULE ......................................................................................................................................................12 CONFERENCE PROGRAM – OVERVIEW.........................................................................................................13 NOVEMBER 5, SUNDAY ...........................................................................................................................................13 NOVEMBER 6, MONDAY ..........................................................................................................................................14
    [Show full text]
  • Community Agenda for the Athens-Clarke County Comprehensive Plan
    Community Agenda for the Athens-Clarke County Comprehensive Plan April 9, 2008 Table of Contents I. Community Agenda - Athens-Clarke County 1. Resolution ....................................................................................................1 2. Introduction .................................................................................................2 3. Community Vision Guiding Principles for Community Agenda ..........................................6 Community Character Areas ....................................................................24 Growth Concept / Character Areas Map.................................................32 Implementation: Future Development Map’s Implementation Strategies.........................................................................33 Implementation: Future Development Map..........................................44 Implementation: Zoning Compatibility Matrix.....................................45 4. Vision Statements, Issues and Opportunities & Policies.......................46 5. Short Term Work Plan................................................................................71 6. Appendix Report of Accomplishments ......................................................................82 Capital Budget and Improvement Plan...................................................105 Athens-Clarke County Community Agenda Page 1 of 249 Introduction Athens-Clarke County Community Agenda Page 2 of 249 Introduction The Comprehensive Plan for Athens-Clarke County and the City of Winterville,
    [Show full text]
  • Guide to Athens, GA Flagpole.Com TABLE of CONTENTS
    FREE! A G s, en e to Ath id u G 2018–2019 Celebrating 30 Years in Athens Eastside Downtown Timothy Rd. 706-369-0085 706-354-6966 706-552-1237 CREATIVE FOOD WITH A SOUTHERN ACCENT Athens Favorite Beer Selection Lunch Dinner Weekend Brunch and Favorite Fries (voted on by Flagpole Readers) Happy Hour: M-F 3-6pm Open for Lunch & Dinner 7 days a week & RESERVE YOUR TABLE NOW AT: Sunday Brunch southkitchenbar.com 247 E. Washington St. Trappezepub.com (inside historic Georgian Building) 269 N. Hull St. 706-395-6125 706-543-8997 2 2018–2019 flagpole Guide to Athens, GA flagpole.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Athens at a Glance . 4 Stage and Screen . 22 Annual Events . 9 Books and Records . 25 Athens Favorites . 11 Athens Music . .. 26 Lodging . 12 Farmers Markets and Food Trucks . 29 Art Around Town . 14 Athens and UGA Map . .31 Get Active . 17 Athens-Clarke County Map . 32 Parks and Recreation . 18 Restaurant, Bar and Club Index . 35 Specially for Kids 20 Restaurant and Bar Listings 38 . NICOLE ADAMSON UGA Homecoming Parade 2018–2019 flagpole Guide to Athens, GA Advertising Director & Publisher Alicia Nickles Instagram @flagpolemagazine Editor & Publisher Pete McCommons Twitter @FlagpoleMag Production Director Larry Tenner Managing Editor Gabe Vodicka Flagpole, Inc. publishes the Flagpole Guide to Athens every August Advertising Sales Representatives Anita Aubrey, Jessica and distributes 45,000 copies throughout the year to over 300 Pritchard Mangum locations in Athens, the University of Georgia campus and the Advertising Designer Anna LeBer surrounding area. Please call the Flagpole office or email class@ Contributors Blake Aued, Hillary Brown, Stephanie Rivers, Jessica flagpole.com to arrange large-quantity deliveries of the Guide.
    [Show full text]
  • NBAF Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Chapter 3, Part 3.9-3.13
    NBAF Draft Environmental Impact Statement 3.9 CULTURAL RESOURCES 3.9.1 Methodology The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) requires federal agencies to record, evaluate, preserve, and plan for management of cultural resources. The NHPA further requires federal agencies to consult with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation before modifying, removing, or demolishing any historic structure potentially eligible, eligible, or listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The NRHP is the official national list of cultural resources that are deemed worthy of preservation. Properties listed in the NRHP include districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture. Additional historic preservation laws and executive orders that must be adhered to include the Archeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974, the Archeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, Native American Graves and Repatriation Act of 1990, American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, Executive Order 13007: Indian Sacred Sites, and Executive Order 11593: Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment. Database searches were conducted for known archaeological and historically significant resources at each of the proposed NBAF sites. Archaeological and historical sites were identified and the footprint for the conceptual design was overlaid on the site boundaries to assist in determining the potential for adverse effects from the proposed construction and operation of the proposed NBAF. Intensive archaeological surveys were performed for sites with significant potential for archaeological resources. Once compiled for each of the sites, in compliance with Section 106 consultation requirements under NHPA, the resulting information pertaining to archaeological and historical resources and potential effects from proposed construction was submitted to the appropriate SHPO for review and concurrence with the findings.
    [Show full text]
  • ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Lead
    E L G A C Y ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Lead. Partner. Guide. A Letter from Sarah & Rhodes The history of our Athens Area Community You’ll also read about the ways we have grown in Foundation is as important as our future. When we community leadership - present, attentive, and ready to were founded in 2008 by a group of local leaders, respond to the needs around us. The initiatives we launch, stand behind, and encourage are the direct result of your The Honorable Steve Jones was our first Board investment as a donor and include our work in the Nonprofit Chairman. He expressed the need for a community Training Series, COVID-19 Community Response Fund, foundation to help identify needs and match them Empty Stocking Fund, Trauma Informed Care, the Athens to the resources available. The founders envisioned Wellbeing Project, and so much more. a community foundation that encouraged giving, You create the dynamic legacy we love to talk about. brought people together for a common cause, and The efforts, resources, and commitment needed to make served as a strong beacon for community change. lasting and positive change often require the commitment and foresight of people who may never see the results of their generosity realized. The impact you create in giving Fast forward thirteen years and our mission, vision, today, tomorrow, and long after our time, is your dynamic values, and culture honor the ideas, hopes, and dreams the legacy. founding members had for our work. Today, the Athens Area Together, let’s keep growing giving for the community Community Foundation is a vibrant and vital organization we love, serving the region.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Book (PDF)
    50th Anniversary • College of Environment and Design PLACE +MEANING EXPERIENCE Place + Meaning + Experience 50th Anniversary • College of Environment and Design +PLACE +MEANING EXPERIENCE © 2020 by the College of Environment and Design at the University of Georgia 285 South Jackson Street Athens, Georgia 30602 ced.uga.edu All Rights Reserved The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources. Designed and set by Louise OFarrell Printed and bound in the United States by Versa Press ISBN 978-0-8203-5864-2 THINKING LIKE A LANDSCAPE Contents 8 A Tour of UGA with Aldo Leopold Dorinda Dallmeyer 24 9 The Jackson Street Building Melissa Tufts 27 Foreword viii 10 Denmark Hall Acknowledgments x Cari Goetcheus 30 Introduction 1 11 The Tanner Building Editorial team 32 LOVE, BEAUTY PLACE + 12 Gwinnett Environmental 1 Still, Striving to Be Love & Heritage Center Eric MacDonald 6 Steve Cannon 34 2 The Alluring Life Force of Costa Rica 13 Connecting a Community through Shelley Cannady 8 Time and Place Editorial team 36 3 Immersive Living in Cortona, Italy Brian LaHaie 10 THINKING LIKE A WATERSHED 4 Going to the Woods Dan Nadenicek 12 14 Wormsloe: Timeless Landscapes Student submission 40 5 The Beauty of Serendipity Center for Research and Education Jack Crowley 15 at Wormsloe (CREW) The Walkable Rural Villa Sarah Ross 41 Ben Proulx 16 15 Georgia’s Saltmarsh Landscape 6 Rock and Shoals Darrel Morrison 44 Alfie Vick 18 16 Scull Shoals
    [Show full text]