Preservation and Restoration

Oakland’s Preservation & Restoration team works year-round to restore and preserve Atlanta’s most complex historic artifact.

Our 48 acres hold thousands of gravestones, burial plots, mausoleums, funerary art and architecture, hardscape, and supporting infrastructure–the collective historic record of over 70,000 of Atlanta’s former residents. For many Oakland residents, these gravestones reflect the only record of their lives, familial relationships, and lasting impact on Atlanta’s cultural history.

Historic Oakland Foundation is committed to preserving and restoring these markers so that future generations can learn from our history. We have successfully restored 20 acres in the last 50 years (1976-2026), primarily in the Original Six Acres, Bell Tower Ridge, and East Hill areas.

Guided by our twenty-year master plan, projects on our to-do list include completing restorations of the historic African American Burial Grounds, the southwestern corner of the Old Cemetery (the Original Six Acres), and 60% of the East Hill area.

“It has been said that, at its best, preservation engages the past in a conversation with the present over a mutual concern for the future.”

—William J. Murtagh, the first Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places

48 Total Acres

28 Acres Left to Restore

7 Historic Structures to Preserve

20 Million Dollars of Proposed Capital Improvements

Currently in Progress

Original Six Acres Restoration

Support the Original Six Acres Restoration

As of Summer 2025, Oakland’s Preservation and Restoration Team is beginning the extensive process of restoring the Original Six Acres. The Original Six Acres of Oakland Cemetery holds some of Atlanta’s oldest and most significant stories—from the city’s earliest burials to the resting place of transformational figures like Mayor Maynard Jackson. This historic core is home to fragile funerary art, aging brick walkways, and century-old trees—all urgently in need of preservation.

With your support, we can restore and protect this meaningful space for generations to come.

Examples of Preservation & Restoration Work

Resetting headstones
Reconstructing stone walls
Cleaning monuments
Repairing brick walls & pathways

Preservation News

Digging Deeper Blog

This 130-Year-Old Atlanta Landmark is Looking Good as New

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression," as the saying goes. For many visitors, Oakland Cemetery's iconic red-brick gate is their first glimpse of our 48-acre historic site.

To make sure that first impression is as striking as the rest of the grounds, we launched a fundraising campaign beginning in 2025 and embarked on a full-scale restoration of this beloved Atlanta landmark.

Restoration Work Begins on Oakland’s Main Gate

Oakland’s stately, ever-welcoming front door is getting a major makeover. And now, the work has begun.

How Interning at Oakland Changed the Paths of Two Preservation Interns

Oakland’s Preservation and Restorations Team has a straightforward goal — restoring and preserving 48 acres of Atlanta history, stories, and monuments. But their work also offers an opportunity for emerging professionals to learn and gain hands-on field experience.

Take a Closer Look at the Foundation of Oakland: Bricks (Part 5)

Oakland’s iconic marble and granite monuments may steal the spotlight, but its bricks are just as integral to the cemetery’s history. Ashley Shares, Director of Preservation, delves into the fascinating stories behind Oakland’s bricks in this blog.