The New Savannah Cemetery sits in a quiet patch of woods near the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam, and it feels like one of those places where Augusta's earliest history is still holding on in the shade. The burial ground dates back to 1733, tied to an eighteenth century trading post community that once stood along the Savannah River, and although that settlement disappeared long ago, the cemetery survived as its last physical trace. By the early twentieth century the brick enclosure had crumbled into fragments, and the site looked more like a ruin than a landmark, which is why the Georgia Society of the Colonial Dames stepped in around 1935 to rebuild portions of the wall and place the plaque that still marks the spot today. Inside the partial brick enclosure you find only a handful of surviving headstones, including members of early Richmond County families like the Arringtons and the Beals, scattered beneath tall trees draped in Spanish moss. Most of the burials date from the late 1700s into the early 1800s, and the exact number is unknown, which adds to the sense of quiet mystery that hangs over the place. Even though it sits not far from the Lock and Dam Park, the cemetery feels remote, almost forgotten, and the combination of brick ruins, mossy shade, and eighteenth century graves gives it an atmosphere that lingers with you long after you leave. [Review 199 of 2026 - 901 in Georgia - 25388 overall] read more

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