What appears to be the dead end on unassuming Alaska Street is, in fact, a community treasure—East Savannah Cemetery. For considerably more than a century, this land has been the final resting place for residents of East Savannah neighborhood. Benjamin Moultrie heard his grandmother explain years ago that a former slave owner donated the property to his freed slaves to use as a cemetery. With headstones dating to the nineteenth century, the age of the cemetery is beyond doubt.
The cemetery has been a point of civic pride for the neighborhood since the Community Club of East Savannah organized in 1935 with the protection of the cemetery as its primary responsibility. A legal challenge to the ownership of the property in the 1980s rallied the community to preserve the cemetery. The court decision upheld East Savannah’s right to its century-old burial ground, ensuring that this community tradition is protected.
Entrance to East Savannah Cemetery
Photograph by Geoff L. Johnson
Courtesy of the City of Savannah Department of Cultural Affairs
The engraved marker at the entrance to the cemetery clearly states its relationship between the East Savannah Community Center. The neighborhood association not only operates the cemetery but also provides for its upkeep. As a result, East Savannah residents are invested emotionally and financially in the cemetery; it is an extension of neighborhood life and identity.
Tree Canopy at East Savannah Cemetery
Photograph by Geoff L. Johnson
Courtesy of the City of Savannah Department of Cultural Affairs
The tree canopy over East Savannah Cemetery casts a pattern of sun and shade over gravesites.
Headstone of Robert Greene, East Savannah Cemetery
Photograph by Geoff L. Johnson
Courtesy of the City of Savannah Department of Cultural Affairs
This hand-carved headstone marks the grave of Robert Greene.
Headstone of Charles Anderson, East Savannah Cemetery
Photograph by Geoff L. Johnson
Courtesy of the City of Savannah Department of Cultural Affairs
A World War I veteran, Charlie Anderson worked for many years at the Oelschig greenhouses.
