1828 Resting Garden in Columbus

This video captures the June 25, 2014 dedication of the 1828 Resting Garden in Columbus, Georgia, located on the site of the city’s first cemetery for Black residents.

Identified on early city maps as the “Colored Cemetery,” the site was used from 1828, the year Columbus was chartered, until 1836, when Porterdale Cemetery opened for Black burials.

City residents and leaders gathered on 6th Avenue to honor formerly enslaved individuals and free Black residents who were laid to rest without markers or recognition.

The dedication restored dignity and acknowledgment to those whose lives and labor helped build the Columbus community.

The Resting Garden now stands as a sacred space of remembrance, history, and respect.