MADISON, GA'S HISTORIC CEMETERIES
MADISON, GA'S HISTORIC CEMETERIES
Artisans
EDWIN GREBLE
by Melissa Piche, Madison, GA
Edwin Greble
A majestic marble obelisk standing 16 feet tall points toward heaven as you make
the first turn into Madison’s Old Cemetery. This beautiful monument was com-
missioned by Dr. Elijah E. Jones from the Philadelphia Steam Marble Works
owned by the esteemed stone carver Edwin Greble. The epithet reads:
It was not uncommon for a man of Dr. Jones’ financial stature to commission
such an impressive monument from a stone carver as highly respected and
experienced as Edwin Greble.
Mr. Greble’s training evidently started early according to an article in the
Philadelphia Inquirer dated 1883 “He was placed by his father with a marble
mason in New York when a young man and acquired a thorough knowledge of
the business.” Mr. Greble founded his business in 1829 and became one of
the “oldest established and consequently best known Marble-workers in
Philadelphia,” said the article.
Greble’s monuments can be found in many cemeteries around the country with
one of the most impressive towering over Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC,
- a large Gothic Revival monument dedicated to Elbert P. Jones. The monument
was designed by the famous architect from Charleston Francis D. Lee and
constructed by E. Greble of Philadelphia.
The Madison City Cemetery is graced with many obelisks but none so imposing
as the one marking the Jones plot. The obelisk design harkens back to Egyptian
architecture and is often graced with Christian symbolism, however the Jones
obelisk is quite simple in design. Dr. Jones must have been quite satisfied with his
Greble monument because in his will he “gave 5 shares of his railroad stock to
Morgan Co, income and dividends of which are to be used by said court in keep-
ing up and beautifying my said lot situated in said city of Madison Cemetery.”
Interestingly, Mr. Greble met his demise at age 77 in a train car, “Mr. Greble was
observed to fall forward from his seat and when he was picked up he was found
to be dead,” said the Philadelphia Inquirer on October 24, 1883.
Mr. Greble is buried in the Woodlands Cemetery in Philadelphia, PA. Curiously,
there are no photographs available of his own headstone.
Resources:
Freedley, E. Exhibiting the Development, Variety, & Statistics of the Manufacturing Industry of Philadelphia in 1857. Philadelphia, PA: Young, E. 1867
Keister, D., Stories in Stone. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith. 2004
FindaGrave, database and images. Edwin Greble, memorial 94183272, created by Meges, maintained by Kelt, citing Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA. (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed 14 February 2018)
No Author listed. Philadelphia Enquirer, October 24, 1883, p. 2.
Southern Spirit Guide database and images (southernspiritguide.org/2011/07) Charleston’s Magnolia Cemetery, created and maintained by Powell, L.
Erected
By Doct. E.E Jones
In testimonial regard
To his Wife
His Mother
and two daughters
Mary & Virginia
also
Georgia & Florine