Colonial Park Cemetery: Savannah’s Forgotten Stories

Established in 1750, Colonial Park Cemetery is the oldest remaining cemetery in Savannah. Savannah was the starting point for the colony of Georgia, and due to the city’s haunted reputation, it is a stopping point for lovers of history and horror alike.

Throughout its paths there are numerous plaques dedicated to the city’s notable residents. There is also a monument at the grave of Button Gwinnett, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Tours pass by day and night, telling the stories of Gwinnett, Sherman’s Union troops, duels, and yellow fever outbreaks.

Those are just a few stories out of thousands. While there are approximately 600 headstones in the cemetery, some estimates put the burial count over 9,000.

These are the stories they don’t tell on guided tours of the city, the people that don’t get plaques or historical monuments.

These are the stories of husbands and wives, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters—everyday people like you and me.

These are the forgotten stories behind the broken, misplaced, and sometimes even vandalized graves of Colonial Park Cemetery.