Although it has a relatively small size, the Screven Mausoleum is a significant structure. Laurel Grove Cemetery is significant as a site because it is exemplary of mid 19th century cemetery design. During this time, cemeteries all over the United States were being developed on the outskirts of cities. These cemeteries, in-cluding Laurel Grove, had winding pathways to allow for more interaction with nature. This closeness to nature followed the Picturesque and Enlightenment ideals of the time. The cem-etery contains a great deal of in tact Victori-an-era burial sites. These sites were set up as little houses with outdoor parlors for visitors, who could come to the cemetery to spend time with their deceased loved ones.

Individually, the Mausoleum is significant be-cause of its unique architectural style. It is built in the high style Egyptian Revival, which was common in the early to mid 19th century after archaeological discoveries in Egypt. Because

of Ancient Egypt’s unique burial traditions, the style was frequently chosen for buildings that represented eternity and the afterlife. Some identifying architectural features of this style include:

• Reeded columns with a lotus motif• Winged disk symbol• A covetto molding• Battered exterior walls• Roll molding with diaper pattern

DOCUMENTING THE SCREVEN MAUSOLEUM LAUREL GROVE CEMETERY, SAVANNAH, GADAVIS ALLEN

SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN

PROCESS

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES

COVETTO MOLDING

BATTERED WALLS

WINGED DISK SYMBOL

REEDED COLUMNSLOTUS MOTIF ON BASE AND CAPITAL

ROLL MOLDINGWITH DIAPER PATTERN

1 2 3 4 5 6

HISTORY CONDITIONS

SIGNIFICANCE - EGYPTIAN REVIVAL ARCHITECTURE

The Screven Mausoleum is located in Lau-rel Grove North Cemetery on the west side of Downtown Savannah. The Cemetery was es-tablished in 1852 as a result of the closing of Colonial Park Cemetery. The cemetery was segregated at the time. African Americans were buried in Laurel Grove South Cemetery, Cath-olics were prohibited, and Jews were buried in an individual section.

The Mausoleum was constructed in the mid-1850s. In 1859, Dr. James Proctor Screven was the first person to be interred. He was the first president of the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad and a former mayor of Savannah.

The mausoleum is in relatively good condition considering its age and the conditions of other mausoleums in Laurel Grove cemetery. Upon documentation, some apparent problems in-clude:

• Black organic growth on the stone walls• Cracking on mortar between stones• Plant growth on cornice and in cracks of

mortar

Some plants on the lot that contained the Mau-soleum were overgrown, but overall the site was maintained very well.

FLOOR PLAN

FRONT ELEVATIONSIDE ELEVATIONSECTION

NOT ACCESSIBLE

NOT ACCESSIBLE

SITE VISIT PHOTOGRAPHICDOCUMENTATION

MEASURE THESTRUCTURE

COMPLETE FIELDDRAWINGS

CREATE MEASUREDAUTOCAD DRAWINGS

ARRANGE DRAWINGS ON SHEETS