Halloween is weeks away, but stores are already preparing for the holiday.

We were feeling a little spooky, but more so curious about the oldest grave site in Rose Hill Cemetery.

Macon-Bibb’s cemetery administrator Marvia Mitchell says the oldest grave belongs to Caroline Wilson.

She was buried on February 28, 1840, and passed from what was called the “dropsy,” or the swelling of soft tissues, said Mitchell.

Staff tend to the grounds of Rose Hill, but grave sites are maintained by the family members who purchased that particular site, said Mitchell.

Despite Wilson’s grave being well-kept, Mitchell says she hasn’t met any of her family.

“I’m not sure with it being that long ago—1840—I don’t know of any of her family. I’ve never met them and I’ve been here a long time.”

Wilson’s grave is made of brick — a popular material for grave sites back then, Mitchell says.

“If you encounter a brick grave site, it is at least 100 years old.” Granite and marble are other popular materials found in grave sites.

Rose Hill contains notable internments such as Gregg Allman and historic areas such as the Oak Ridge slave burial grounds.

“Cemeteries are a vital part of our current history, of our past, and present,” said Mitchell. “So I think if people would just think of cemeteries as family members, and just have an appreciation for them and just respect them whenever you visit them.”

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