Oakland’s Irish Residents
In honor of Saint Patrick's Day, meet a few of Oakland's residents from the Emerald Isle. From County Meath on the Irish Sea to Galway on Ireland's western coast, these Irish men and women left their mark on their adopted…
Gone with the Wind Premiere: 80 Years Later
On December 15, 1939, nearly 300,000 people crowded around the Loew’s Grand Theatre to witness the premiere of the critically-acclaimed antebellum epic, Gone with the Wind. Atlantans celebrated the film during three days of festivities, which included an extravagant costumed…
Big Bethel A.M.E. Church and Oakland Cemetery
This Friday and Saturday mark the 89th annual production of Big Bethel A.M.E.’s Heaven Bound musical, which was first performed in 1930 to raise funds for the church following a devastating 1923 fire that forced the congregation to rebuild their…
Atlanta’s Cultural History as Reflected in a Restroom
Restrooms can be an unexpected reflection of cultural history. From the aqueduct and spring-fed public baths of the Roman Empire to the domed hammams of Turkey, public facilities reveal a society’s attitudes towards hygiene, labor, architecture, and social stratification. The…
Interpreting Atlanta’s Confederate History
More than 70,000 souls rest at Oakland Cemetery, including 6,900 Confederate soldiers buried in the Confederate Burial Grounds. Historic Oakland Foundation (HOF) is working to expand understanding of Oakland Cemetery’s Civil War history through contextual panels and digital exhibits. This…
Resident Spotlight: Andrew Steiner, Member of Jewish Resistance, Architect
Andrew Steiner was born on August 22, 1908, in Dunaszerdahely, Austria-Hungary (present-day Dunajská Streda, Slovakia). His parents, Arpad and Adele Steiner, were both Jewish. Although known by many names - Andrej, Andse, and Endre – he is most often remembered…
Jewish History at Oakland Cemetery
Jews have a storied history in Atlanta. Records note that Jewish citizens helped to settle the city. By 1860, Atlanta’s Jewish population numbered over 50 people. The Hebrew Benevolent Society formed the same year to provide burial spaces and aid…
Illuminating Oakland’s Early Landscapes: The Greenhouses
During Illumine we are showcasing just a few of the interesting stories our creative team is shining a light on during this four-day light experience. The early 1870s were the dawn of a new golden era for the “City Grave…
Illuminating the History of Slave Square
by DL Henderson and Sara Van Beck During Illumine we are showcasing just a few of the interesting stories our creative team is shining a light on during this four-day light experience. From 1852, through the late 1860s, African Americans…
Illuminating the Legacy of Mayor Maynard Jackson
During Illumine we are showcasing just a few of the interesting stories our creative team is shining a light on during this four-day light experience. Maynard Jackson became Atlanta’s first African American mayor in 1974. A graduate of Morehouse College,…