Bridge History & Project

The bridge in Oconee Hill Cemetery is both a functional and a historic structure, linking the western and eastern sections of the cemetery. The iron truss bridge, built by the George E. King Bridge Company of Des Moines, Iowa in 1899, is an architectural gem within the cemetery. In 2010 the Friends of Oconee Hill Cemetery undertook a fundraising effort to clean and paint the entire bridge to control rust and limit deterioration.

As we moved through 2022 and 2023, many new developments with the bridge have occurred. The Athens-Clarke County government built a section of the Greenway Trail through the cemetery and under the bridge. During this construction, the trustees of the cemetery decided to make use of the bridge closure to remove old paving and pans from the bridge and repave the whole surface. Once the old paving was removed, structural issues with the steel supports were unfortunately discovered. This has resulted in the cemetery having to face a large expense it never anticipated or budgeted for. The good news was the cemetery received a generous lead gift of $50,000. The repairs were also partially funded by a grant from The 1772 Foundation and The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Other funds have been raised to meet this unexpected cost and the cemetery is grateful for all who pitched in to help preserve this critical aspect of the grounds.

Dinner On The Bridge

In celebration of the Re-opening of the 1899 iron truss bridge, the Trustees and the Friends of Oconee Hill Cemetery invited the community to the inaugural “Dinner on the Bridge” - A Spectacular Experience Created by Epting Events.

We are so excited about the “Dinner of the Bridge” this Thursday night. It is going to be a spectacular evening!

・ The event began at 6pm with Cocktails in the Wingfield Chapel.  Dress for the evening was “Cocktail with Casual Shoes”!  

On behalf of the Trustees of Oconee Hill Cemetery and the Friends of Oconee Hill Cemetery, THANK YOU ... and we enjoyed seeing you “On the Bridge”!

A special Thank You to our event sponsors:

Lucy & Buddy Allen

Armentout MathenyThurmond, P.C.

Benson’s Hospitality Group

burton + Burton

Cannon Financial Institute

Teresa & Bob Carson

Helen & Mark Costantino

First American Bank & Trust

The Todd Emily Foundation

Friends of Oconee Hill Cemetery

Grahl Construction

Fran & Richard Lane

The Langdale Foundation

Marilyn & John McMullan

Lord & Stephens Funeral Home

Sally & Corky Sams

Stifel

Synovous

Trustees of Oconee Hill Cemetery

Premier Sponsor: Epting Events