Clay Cemetery Preservation

06/03/2026

On occasion Clay Cemetery Preservation will share items from other historical cemeteries or practices and traditions surrounding our laying to rest. This is one both unique and respectful. We hope you enjoy it.

In one of the Jewish burial sections of Atlanta's Greenwood Cemetery is a genizah - a storage place where worn or damaged religious texts and sacred items are kept rather than be thrown away.

The practice exists because writings that contain the name of God are treated with special reverence and instead of being thrown away, they are placed in a genizah until they can be buried respectfully.

02/15/2026

WHAT TO DO ON A RAINY DAY ?

Why, peruse all the locations available to visit for this year's Phoenix Flies sites illuminating Atlanta history. You have 106 to consider, including OUR very own historic Clay Cemetery ( #17).

Enjoy this electronic flip book, your invitation to all things Atlanta history.

For 23 years, Phoenix Flies has showcased Atlanta’s historic and cultural landmarks through tours, talks, and events. Created by the Atlanta Preservation Center in 2003 to honor the rescue of the Fox

01/31/2026

CLAY CEMETERY
Our Annual Tours with:
- Atlanta Preservation Center
- Clay Cemetery Preservation
- Kirkwood Neighbors Organization (KNO)

Saturday 3/14 @ 11 am
Sunday 3/15@ 12 noon and 2 pm
Saturday 3/28 @ 11 am
Sunday 3/29 @ 12 noon and 2 pm

Mark your calendars and reach out to:
[email protected]

11/04/2025

Thank you to Clay Cemetery descendent Elizabeth Furbish, MD, for her generous sharing of this information and image. Both add to a wonderful story.

Photo c. 1930 (Left to Right)
- James Hubert Clay (1912-1980), buried in Tucson, Arizona.
- Margaret Clay (Yarn) (1906-2003), buried in Greenwood. Cemetery, Atlanta, GA
- Henry Grady Clay (1910-1937), buried in Clay Cemetery.
- W.D. Clay (1906-1922), buried in Clay Cemetery. Not pictured.
- Two siblings not pictured.

Father: W.D. Clay (1882-1914) buried in Clay Cemetery.
Mother: Ida Kennedy Clay (d. 1915), buried in Clay Cemetery.

W.D and Ida died within a year of each other, leaving five children orphaned. Each was taken in and raised by different Clay families descendent of Jesse Clay Sr. At least three religions were represented by the adoptive families: Baptist, Catholic, and Mormon.

For the south of that time an amazing openess to the variety of spiritual belief is suggested by the family of a man who co-founded the area's largest Southern Baptist Church.

10/11/2025

Never been in Clay Cemetery?
Don't even know it's there?
Kirkwood's oldest historic site dating to settlement days c.1826.

Come join us tomorrow at 1:30 pm at 42 Clifton Street NE to do a little raking and pickup. You'll also be able to wander, explore, and ask questions. If time allows we might even be able to do one of our well know tours.

Bring a leaf rake, we'll supply everything else.
Learn some origin Kirkwood !!

04/24/2025

Good morning!!
We hope your days are all well and blessed.

This year we did something different in terms of grounds keeping within Clay Cemetery. Due to water run off and erosion issues that have been evolving we chose to heavily over seed with rye and leave it to grow au naturale.

It's surprisingly striking. Those of country backgrounds will recognize the wave like motion with long grasses and winds.
We hope you enjoy it!

03/06/2025

Clay Cemetery Tours
March 2025
Phoenix Flies - The Atlanta Preservation Center

Schedule

Saturday
March 8th 10am, 1pm

Sunday
March 9th 12 noon, 2pm

Saturday
March 15th 10am, 1pm

Sunday
March 16th 12 noon, 2pm

To Sign Up: send note to [email protected]

02/11/2025

False Spring?
Or real?

Daffodil & jonquil season starts in our Clay Cemetery ...

12/06/2024

Good evening to all !!

Our bronze plaque memorializing those whose graves and sometimes names have been lost to memory has arrived. It will be installed atop a masonry and fragment pedestal at the cemetery’s exact center, hopefully this month.

Your suggestions as far as color, size, etc were appreciated. We also changed format a bit to highlight “ClayCemetery” and improve centering and balance.

The text and concept derive from a historical cemetery with a great deal of unmarked graves in Sandwich, Massachusetts.

11/13/2024

Good afternoon!
Clay Cemetery Preservation would like to hear your input on this project.

Given the many, many unmarked graves in Clay Cemetery we have elected to follow the model of Sandwich, Massachusett's Old Town Cemetery in memorializing those at rest without markers or identities. Their use of a large bronze plaque is effective and blends well in historical cemeteries.

We will be using a similar large bronze plaque modeled after National Registry plaques and mounted on a masonry pedestal at Clay Cemetery's center. Our planned wording follows on the samples below.

We would like your thoughts on color choice between the very traditional National Registry bronze/brown and the more contemporary Federal green. Your other thoughts are welcomed as well.

Much Thanks!