The God's Acre Cemetery Tour

A hearty congrats to our The God's Acre Cemetery Tour guide, Ken Rimes for making such a great impact on these guests!

Great going to guide Lazarus Bone for earning such a remarkable review! To each his own of course on matter of ghosts of which Colonial Park is historically famed for long before ghost tours was a concept but we're just delighted to have delivered up what these clients were looking for!

Some of the many faces that shaped Georgia, The South, Savannah, and the USA before there was such a place less we mention the world! Come meet just a portion of them on The God's Acre Cemetery Tour www.godsacretour.com

We're really breathing new life into Savannah's "Old Burying Ground" with early morning & early evening God's Acre Tours! thingstodo

Colonial Park Cemetery Tour - Savannah | Shannon Scott Tours Explore Colonial Park Cemetery, the biggest story spot in the whole Historic District of Savannah, and learn its fascinating history!

Before the advent of photography, miniature portraits were commissioned of loved ones. Edward Malbone was the the greatest of all miniaturists. His work (watercolor on ivory) is displayed at The Met, Smithsonian and in private collections throughout the world

Most thankful for another lovely review of our most remarkable Lazarus Bone! Colonial Park is full of rich stories and no one knows her better than Lazarus himself. We do hope you'll come roam God's Acre with us soon!

Happy Halloween all! Lazarus Bone was privileged enough to story some descendants of Nathaniel Greene in Colonial Park this week. We hear they're considering having their family reunion in Savannah next year!

Join the mysterious Lazarus Bone this Halloween weekend as he weaves his spell-binding tales of the macabre in Savannah's oldest extant cemetery! Sure to be an hour packed full of Savannah's richest stories of the Old City Jail, Conrad Aiken, the Yellow Fever plague, and much more! Visit www.shannonscott.com for tickets!

"I like that ancient Saxon phrase, which calls
The burial-ground God's-Acre! It is just;
It consecrates each grave within its walls,
And breathes a benison o'er the sleeping dust."
-Longfellow

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” This verse from Psalm 137 captures the essence of the willow tree when seen on headstones. A popular symbol in the 1700s and later, this forlorn tree has many meanings beyond the traditional sorrowful connotations we associate with it.

The incredible hardiness of the willow lends itself to also symbolizing strength, regeneration, and immortality. As long as the root system stays intact, a willow tree is capable of completely re-growing, even if it is razed nearly to the ground. When we contemplate death and the everlasting, the willow stands as reminder that though we may be laid low by death and sadness, there will be a rebirth and a chance for new beginnings.

Here we see the willow paired with an urn, signifying the return to ashes out of ashes; a further meditation on the partition of death to everlasting life beyond.

Superstition comes into play with the reporting of the 1820 Yellow Fever victims buried in our very own Colonial Park. Notice the "nearly" on the grave marker?

That's So Savannah: How many yellow fever victims are buried in Colonial Park Cemetery? Like much of Savannah, Colonial Park Cemetery has a harrowing distinction as the final resting place of hundreds of yellow fever victims.

The soul portrait of Dr. Samuel Vickers stares out from its etched permanence of stone. As Lazarus Boone teaches, the soul portrait, sometimes also known as “winged soul” or “soul effigy”, was an extremely popular headstone marker in the 1700s and predominates in many older cemeteries. The headstone of Dr. Vickers, indeed, is one of the oldest in Colonial Park, with his death noted as 1785.

While the face is often carved in a generic fashion, Dr. Vicker’s soul portrait does sport a wig which may have been a rendition of the one he wore in daily life. It was customary at the time for soul portraits to display some features of the dead, while the face remained somewhat angelic or cherubic as a nod to the innocence of the soul.

An interesting note about Dr. Vicker’s headstone is the type of stone from which it was carved: red sandstone. Due to the specific type of sandstone, it is highly probable that this headstone was carved out of New Jersey, possibly by Ebeneezer Price, one of the more prolific engravers from that area.

The Gates to Colonial Park stand waiting for eager passers-by to come and roam. Many may wonder what the D.A.R. on the main gate means, and our Lazarus Boone has an answer waiting for those willing to pass through the arch!

Erected in 1913, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) gate stands as a tribute to the Patriots buried within who lost their lives in the American Revolutionary War. Topped with a triumphant Eagle, the gate also sports an interesting wheel and flax symbol that is the insignia of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

According to their handbook, the spinning wheel bears 13 stars for the 13 colonies, with a gathering of flax poking out from behind. The flax itself is a symbol of purity, and also a nod back to the spinning wheel, upon which flax was traditionally spun into linen.

The God's Acre Cemetery Tour updated their address.

The Deaths' Head skull and Crossbones, could there be a more iconic symbol? Our time on Earth is but brief, and this grim carving stands as a reminder that we are all but ashes and dust in the end in the true "Memento Mori" style. For rich or poor alike, death is inevitable, as our very own Lazarus Boone can tell you.

A favorite of cemeteries, pirates also adopted the skull and crossbones in their Jolly Roger flag. As their traditions stated, the Jolly Roger signified the Devil himself, and those at sea who were unfortunate enough to spy it knew they would soon be attacked!

This Death's Head can be found on the back wall of Colonial Park Cemetery, marking the headstone of John Evans. A printer, and not a pirate, Evans lived in Savannah on Broughton Street for 3 years prior to his death, and was well regarded in the city.

Do you or someone you know have a story like this? https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/08/13/thrift-store-marriage-certificate-1864-Irene-Cornish/1381628888028/

Thrift store returns 146-year-old marriage certificate to great-granddaughter A North Carolina thrift store at which a 146-year-old marriage certificate was found hidden inside a picture frame said the couple's great-granddaughter now has been found.

Lazarus Boone in rare selfe mode with some of our guests this morning! We tried to ask him a question but no sooner had we turned to speak to him we heard a surrey door slam and he was gone!

Little Gracie’s 139th Birthday Bonaventure Tour & Reception with... Shannon Scott conducts a special tour dedicated to the 139th Birthday of Savannah's most famous statue Little Gracie and sculptor John Walz. Tour followed by reception with cake artist inspired birthday cake and optional lunch!

A man for the ages buried in God's Acre, the great-great grandpappy of Teddy Roosevelt & Declaration signer, Archibald Bulloch!

The Patriot's Call Then, Now and Forever! My contribution to Armistice Day - Veteran's Day to show my appreciation for the spirit and sacrifice! Teddy Roosevelt's Great-Great (just 2) Grandaddy, Firs...

With these Yellow Fever mass grave inducing temperatures outside, we are proudly offering Daily 8AM (75 to 90 minute) morning tours of Colonial Park Cemetery, aka, "God's Acre" with Lazarus Boone who just returned to Savannah after much delay on a washed out stagecoach road outside of Augusta, Georgia. RESERVATIONS at 912-319-5600 or www.GodsAcreTour.com