Oakwood Cemetery

Cemeteries do not have to be morbid they are known to be a relaxing place of tranquility...This is such that place...This Cemetery is a nice place to observe the white washed graves...as well as reflect on life's value...I loved it!

My parents are interred at the mausoleum. With permission, my family and I have utilized our own funds to enhance the mausoleum garden area in the front by planting flowers and decorating the space. Unfortunately, someone has removed all of our additions. As we are not local residents and must drive several hours to visit the mausoleum, this incident is particularly distressing, because we have worked hard to decorate it. The stolen items include all kinds of decorations, solar lights, planters, shepherd's hooks, flag, and flag stand. We are uncertain as to who is responsible, but we sincerely hope that they get caught. Apparently, theft has been an issue, and it is disheartening to know that individuals would remove items from a cemetery. As a result, and the main purpose of this review, is for families to be aware that decorations may be stolen from anywhere in the cemetery. Our intention for the mausoleum was to create a more welcoming atmosphere, as the area was in need of improvement, and we believed that others would also appreciate the enhancements. I have assigned a rating of 4 stars due to the kindness of the ladies in the office; otherwise, the rating would be lower. Although the cemetery is historic and could be quite lovely, we have not been entirely certain it’s right for us. We aspire to experience happiness and serenity during our visits and have considered exploring the possibility of relocating my parents.

Robin gave me a tour on a perfect fall day. I truly did not expect to feel so energized after seeing a cemetery, but she brought the entire place alive for me and connected so many of her "residents" to real life history. It felt like I was touring a fascinating museum instead of a cemetery.

Robin gives the residents of her "town" (population 25,0000) a voice through understanding their history. She helped to connect their individual lives to stories I could understand and identify with. I'm excited to now possess a copy of the book she and Bruce Miller wrote detailing a history I feel very much a part of, having grown up in the Triangle area myself.

I'm also impressed to know that the cemetery is far from full and offers green burials in a beautiful section in the back, along with traditional burials, cremation plots, and 2 mausoleums. Having lived in Cambridge, MA for several years enjoying long walks at Mt. Auburn cemetery, I'm sure I'll be back to enjoy the trails and monuments here and explore the history of the individuals who quietly reside at Oakwood.

I lived on North Bloodworth st for ~7 years and would walk to the necropolis several times/year. It felt otherworldly and detached from downtown Raleigh (only half mile away, St. Augustine’s borders on the east and busy routes everywhere surrounding) and all of the gentrified chaos close by. Unexpected treasure…

This place is stunning!!! We are new to the area and wanted to see this cemetery around fall/Halloween time. We read about Etta so she was our main reason for going but we found so many other beautiful graves. I love the mausoleums. The grounds are beautiful all while being a bit ‘spooky’ we took a bunch of pictures and Bri even stopped us to see if we needed any help finding anything. She told us about Etta and Prikyl. So neat to hear from someone who works there! Will be back next year to see the grounds again!