May is National Preservation Month, and we're excited to announce the preservation-related activities that we'll be hosting in Oakland throughout the month. May 5: Behind-the-Stones Preservation Tour May 11: Cemetery Preservation Workshop May 16: Instagram Live Preservation Tour We hope…
Spring has sprung at Oakland and with that comes Oakland's first ever Spring to Life family festival on April 13! There will be so many different things to enjoy from our iconic Spring Plant Sale (which opens to the public…
This year on Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service, Historic Oakland Foundation welcomed hundreds of volunteers to join us in a volunteer day on the grounds. During the course of the day, one of our youngest volunteers stumbled…
When I talk to friends from high school, many of our conversations eventually turn to our shared love of Atlanta, the city we grew up in. Usually our discussions are lighthearted and include topics such as food, music, and funny…
The Georgia State University Heritage Preservation program and Historic Oakland Foundation have long held a symbiotic relationship through a graduate internship program. Last semester's intern, Lauren Reeves, worked alongside our preservation team, YLHT students, and volunteers to perform a variety of…
Capturing the Spirit of Oakland has been an institution of Historic Oakland Foundation for 17 years. The tours are designed to enlighten rather than frighten, as the spirits of Oakland’s residents wait eagerly to tell their stories. This year, the…
The entire cemetery is in the midst of a massive repaving project, and recent work in the African American section left Mrs. Mamie White’s grave marker half buried and splattered with cement. The marker had been broken and replaced many…
Although Oakland Cemetery is known for its historic headstones and grave markers, many graves in the Cemetery are unmarked and are not easily identifiable. In the broader Southeastern United States, especially in the Appalachian region, graves (both marked and unmarked)…
Granite is one of the most common stone types we have at Oakland. It’s also one of the most common rocks on earth, making up the continental crust of our planet! Granite is an intrusive igneous rock, meaning that it…
Grave marker cleaning is by far the most common preservation effort that takes place within a cemetery. At Oakland, we have regular volunteer days focused on the task. When done properly, cleaning the headstones and monuments in a cemetery can…