The City of Covington Cemetery is one of the most historical locations in Covington. Located off of Church Street, the City of Covington Cemetery has one of the richest histories of any cemetery in the state of Georgia. This historic cemetery consists of five sections. The largest section, the first, is the City section and can be found in the middle of the cemetery. Each of the sections are unique to a specific era of time.
Within the first section you may notice that there are several graves from the 19th century. These 19th century graves are obelisks – a form of Egyptian revival architecture. The graves inspired by Egyptian revival architecture can be easily found, as they are some of the tallest in the first section of the cemetery. You will also notice headstones from the 20th century; these headstones are of a more modern style.
Within the Northeast corner of the City of Covington Cemetery you will find what has been nicknamed the Confederate section. In this section you will find graves of the soldiers who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Many of these soldiers were pronounced dead in Confederate hospitals located in Covington during the 1860’s. You will also find several unmarked graves; there were a number of unidentified soldiers killed in Covington due to war injuries.
In the Eastern corner of the City of Covington Cemetery you will find the African-American section. It is more commonly known as the “Old Cemetery.” Due to the age of this cemetery, there is a lack of headstones; instead you will find trees or plants marking the burial sites. In the Western corner you will enter into the “New Section,” also known as “Memorial Garden.” This section of the City of Covington Cemetery is where a large number of children from the 19th or 20th century are buried.
The last section of the City of Covington Cemetery is the “Old Methodist” section, located in the Northwest corner. This section has the most recorded history of any part of the cemetery. Although it is full of unmarked gravesites, there are over 134 graves. This section is largely known for pioneers who did not survive the harsh conditions in the 18th and 19th centuries. Along with five prominent families, you will also find the graves of many early Methodist preachers. Andrew Hammil, an early Methodist minister, is buried in this section. Mr. Hammil had a large part in forming Covington’s community, as he was the superintendent of the Madison and Covington churches until he passed away in 1836.
There are over 3,700 graves in the City of Covington Cemetery. Many of these gravesites belong to Covington residents who greatly influenced and shaped our community into what it is today. If you are interested in learning more, visit Covington for a self-guided Civil War tour that includes a tour of the historic City of Covington Cemetery!
