The Story

Established in 1887 as an alternative to the public Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, the private Riverside Cemetery originally consisted of 23 acres designed by renowned landscape architect Calvert Vaux. Additional parcels of land were purchased for the cemetery’s expansion in 1902, 1929 and 1931, and were developed in sympathy with its original design. In 1966 construction of Interstate 75 split the cemetery into two sections.

The Threat

The Georgia Department of Transportation is planning to construct a new elevated interchange for I-75 and I-16. This plan places retaining walls less than six feet from graves in Riverside Cemetery and calls for the removal of trees that currently serve as natural barriers to sunlight, traffic noise and pollution.