In the heart of Atlanta, Georgia, lies Westview Cemetery, a sprawling city of the dead. Westview Cemetery isn’t just a cemetery. It’s a sprawling 582-acre tapestry woven with the threads of Atlanta’s rich history. Established in October 1884, Westview Cemetery quickly became the final resting place for many prominent Atlantans. The cemetery is so vast, it encompasses nearly 20 miles of roads within its grounds. Over 125,000 souls have found their final resting place here.
Westview Cemetery holds the remains of Asa Candler, the Coca-Cola magnate, alongside his son, Asa Candler Jr., who shaped the cemetery’s landscape with his vision. The magnificent Westview Abbey, a Spanish Plateresque style mausoleum and chapel built by Candler Jr. in 1943, houses 11,444 crypts. Its chapel boasts 27 stained glass panels, depicting the life of Jesus Christ, alongside a mural titled “Faith, Hope, and Charity.” More than 72 stained-glass windows illuminate the mausoleum.
A poignant reminder of Atlanta’s past is the Confederate Memorial, erected in 1889. It stands as a tribute to the fallen soldiers of the Confederacy. You can find it near the historic Union trenches, remnants of the Battle of Ezra Church fought on the cemetery’s northern edge during the Civil War.
The grounds hold more than just famous names. Sarah Staley, a Toccoa Falls College professor who tragically perished in the 1917 flu epidemic, is buried here. Due to the frozen ground, her burial was delayed for months, her body kept in a receiving tomb until the earth thawed. This receiving tomb, built in 1888, still stands today, a silent witness to the cemetery’s history.
The cemetery itself bears witness to the changing times. Originally segregated, Westview Cemetery officially desegregated its main grounds in 1970. The 1890 Romanesque Revival gatehouse, designed by architect Walter T. Downing, still welcomes visitors today. It has stood the test of time, one of the city’s oldest surviving structures.
Westview Cemetery continues to evolve, embracing its historical significance. Walking tours offer glimpses into the cemetery’s diverse stories, from the 19th century to the Candler era. Listed on both the Georgia and National Registers of Historic Places, Westview Cemetery is a living museum, a testament to Atlanta’s past, present, and future. It’s a place where history whispers from every tombstone, a place where stories unfold with every step you take.