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Historic Oakland Foundation is celebrating completion of a major restoration project at the 163-year-old Oakland Cemetery. The restoration included repairs to 42 mausoleums, known as the crown jewels of Oakland, many of which are more than 100 years old.
Funded by local foundations and individual donors as well as a National Park Service Save America's Treasures matching grant, the multi-year project included masonry work on 38 mausoleums; repairs and preservation work to metalwork and doors on 8 mausoleums; and repairs, cleaning, and preservation of stained glass windows on 9 mausoleums.
David Moore, Executive Director of the Historic Oakland Foundation said, "As a result of this project, many of the cemetery's treasures have been restored to excellent condition and with ongoing care, those efforts will last for decades. We are particularly proud that the project received an Award of Excellence for Historic Preservation from the Atlanta Urban Design Commission."
To complete this project, Oakland's Restoration Manager coordinated their in-house restoration team and professional contractors to assess and restore each mausoleum. Issues addressed included damaged roofs and walls, missing or broken sculptural components, broken windows, biological growth or heavy soiling, damaged metalwork and doors, lightning damage, and missing or incompatible elements and ornaments.
Moore said, "With this work complete, visitors will have more favorable impressions of Oakland and enhanced experiences, whether they visit regularly for recreation or just once for an educational tour. Future generations will be able to connect to the history of Atlanta through the tangible art and artifacts preserved at Oakland Cemetery."
Eleven of the 42 mausoleums restored are located within Oakland's oldest section, known as the Original Six Acres. Just inside the main gates of Oakland, this area is particularly important because it contains Atlanta's earliest burials, first examples of funerary art, and first public art. The restoration of the Jasper Newton Smith mausoleum is particularly eye-catching. It features a life-sized statue of Mr. Smith seated above the mausoleum entrance, facing the gates of Oakland. Mr. Smith is the unofficial mayor of Oakland as he "watches" the comings and goings of all who visit.
Major funders to the project include Mr. and Mrs. Howell Hollis, the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, Tull Charitable Foundation, and Sarah and Jim Kennedy.
