Athens in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)

Old Athens Cemetery

Photographed by David Seibert, May 30, 2009

1. Old Athens Cemetery Marker

Inscription. This site is the original burial ground for Athens and contains the remains of its earliest citizens. It is a part of the original tract of land purchased for The University of Georgia by Governor John Milledge in 1801. All people in Athens were allowed to bury their dead here free of charge. Some markers are uninscribed local field stones, others are of imported marble. Two Revolutionary soldiers are known to be buried here as well as Dr. Moses Waddell, president of the University 1819-1829. Because of overcrowding here, Oconee Hill Cemetery, located nearby to the southeast, was opened in 1856. A number of graves and stones were moved to it. The original cemetery was more than twice as large as now; land was lost as the University and town grew and encroached from all sides. The last known burials occurred in the 1880s. Today the Old Athens Cemetery, with its beautiful park-like setting, serves as a place of quiet reflection and remembrance of Athens long ago. The Old Athens Cemetery is maintained by the Old Athens Cemetery Foundation, Inc.

Erected 1996 by The Thomas Miller Chapter, National Society Colonial Dames

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XVII Century.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Education • War, US Revolutionary. In addition, it is included in the The Colonial Dames XVII Century, National Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1801.

Location. 33° 57.267′ N, 83° 22.375′ W. Marker is in Athens, Georgia, in Athens-Clarke County. It is on South Jackson Street 0.1 miles north of Baldwin Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Athens GA 30601, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Classic City Area

and in the Piedmont.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, May 26, 2022

2. Old Athens Cemetery Marker

of this marker: A different marker also named Old Athens Cemetery (here, next to this marker); United States Navy Pre-Flight School (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Petroglyphic Boulders (about 300 feet away); In Memory of Unknown Enslaved Individuals (about 400 feet away); Latin American Ethnobotanical Garden (about 600 feet away); Old College (about 600 feet away); Abraham Baldwin (about 700 feet away); a different marker also named Old College (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Athens.

Old Athens Cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed by David Seibert, May 30, 2009

3. Old Athens Cemetery

Photographed by David Seibert, May 30, 2009

4. Old Athens Cemetery

Credits. This page was last revised on May 30, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 6, 2009, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. This page has been viewed 1,846 times since then and 52 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on June 6, 2009, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. 2. submitted on May 29, 2022, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. 3, 4. submitted on June 6, 2009, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.