Walker Family Cemetery

Upon first arriving at Augusta State University, I could not go without noticing the eerie presents of the cemetery located at the far west side of the campus. As I scanned across the cemetery I noticed the children grave sites and knew they were from a time when life was hard. The cemetery holds a rich heritage and offers a historical aspect of Augusta's past. The land that the cemetery sits upon was once owned by Freeman Walker. Freeman Walker was a United States senator who resigned and became the first mayor of Augusta. Shortly before his death he donated seventy-two acres to the government, with an easement of one acre. The single acre was for his family Cemetery. When I visited the cemetery I noticed several distinct features on many different levels. Visiting the Walker family cemetery at Augusta State University made me acutely aware of my surroundings.

When I first approached the cemetery the huge wrought iron entrance caught my attention. The main fence that surrounds the majority of the cemetery is an ordinary chain linked fence that ties into the entrance gate. The entrance is truly the accent point of the cemetery. The gate has thirteen iron bars on each side of the opening. The gaps in-between each iron slab are just wide enough to fit your arm through. The wrought irons ascend toward the sky standing tall and strong not allowing anyone to slip between the thin spaces. Holding the gate in place is a brick fence that ties into the chain linked fence that continues to surround the rest of the cemetery.

Next to the family burial plots is a small military graveyard. Unlike the Walker family cemetery, the headstones in the military cemetery are simple and orderly. The military section reminds me of a smaller version of Arlington cemetery. This section is constructed of just a few simple rows of small white headstones. The grave markers are assembled from marble and are just a few feet tall with a curved top. The only thing differeciating these grave markers from another are the inscriptions carved in the cold stone. The ground is bare covered only with headstones, no flowers or anything sit in front of these monuments. On the third row of the graves a single American flag sits in front of one of small grave markings.

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