Sneak Preview: Oakland’s “Holiday Spirit” Tour

Next month, Atlanta’s Historic Oakland Cemetery will transform for the holidays! The cemetery is hosting its annual “Holiday Spirit” program on Dec. 2-3, complete with a gift market, holiday music, craft area, seasonal spirits, and photos with Santa himself.

One of the highlights of the two-day event is the Holiday Tour of Eternal Homes. A Victorian guide will take guests to six different decorated mausolea, where they will learn about Atlanta’s pioneering families, the city’s history, Victorian-era architecture, and some Victorian holiday traditions. (I had the wonderful opportunity to research and write this year’s tour scripts).

Here’s a sneak peek of one of the stops on Oakland’s Holiday Tour of Eternal Homes:

Welcome to the Walters Mausoleum! This mausoleum was built in 1916 for George Calhoun Walters and his wife, Frances Winship Walters. As you can see by the columns, this was constructed in the Greek Revival style, which was incredibly popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Frances Walters – her full name Mary Frances Winship Walters – was the daughter of Robert Winship, a prominent Atlanta businessman. Her nephew was Robert Winship Woodruff, who served as President of Coca-Cola for more than 60 years.

Frances Walters was born in Fulton County in 1877. She attended Agnes Scott College, which, at the time, was the brand-new Agnes Scott Institute. Her connection to that school would continue for the rest of her life. During her marriage, Frances and George loved to throw parties at their home in Inman Park. They’d host receptions, dinners, bridge nights, and fundraisers – their events always made the society pages. After George’s death, Frances turned to charity work.

Frances donated money to her church. She endowed a professorship at Emory School of Medicine. She supported several worthy causes, many of them anonymously. She’s best known, however, for her contributions to her alma mater, Agnes Scott College. Frances is nicknamed the “Second Founder of Agnes Scott.” She sponsored a new infirmary, a new entrance to the college, endowed a student scholarship, and served on the Board of Trustees. When Mrs. Walters passed away in 1954, she left the school $4.4 million, one of Agnes Scott’s largest legacy gifts.

In honor of the Walters’ philanthropic spirit, let’s talk about the novel A Christmas Carol and how it helped establish the idea of holiday charity. Published in 1843 by Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a cold-hearted miser who transforms after being visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Christmas Yet to Come. After seeing his future, Scrooge begs for a chance to change his ways and becomes a model of warmth and charity. The novel highlighted the plight of the poor in Victorian Britain and touched on subjects like child labor and worker rights. A Christmas Carol was an instant hit and remains one of the most well-known stories of the generosity of the holiday spirit.

For more information about Historic Oakland Foundation’s “Holiday Spirit” event, you can visit the cemetery’s website. While the event itself is free, guests do have to register for the mausoleum tour. Happy Holidays!