Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
“Sunset Hill Cemetery, located northwest of the intersection of North Oak Street and West Mary Street, is the oldest cemetery in Valdosta, Georgia.”
Wikipedia article Sunset Hill Cemetery, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 18 National Register listings published here for Lowndes County · listed in 2004 · category: Site.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 422 fires within 5 miles of Sunset Hill Cemetery between 1992 and 2020, burning about 866 acres in total. 9 started naturally. 75 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 174 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 75 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 38 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 36 |
| Smoking | 36 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 30 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 15 |
| Natural | 9 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 9 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2010 | Debris and open burning | 4.1 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2011-LOWNDES-006 |
| 8 September 1997 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 8 September 1997 | Railroad operations and maintenance | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 5 September 2008 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 1.2 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 5 September 1997 | Debris and open burning | 1.3 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 30 September 2003 | Railroad operations and maintenance | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 18 September 1995 | Debris and open burning | 2.6 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 17 September 2013 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2014-LOWNDES-004 |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Valdosta, the town this property stands in, in 142 storm reports between 1993 and 2026: 99 thunderstorm wind, 19 flash flood, 14 hail, 5 lightning. The reports record 11 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2014 | Tornado (EF2) | Valdosta | 9 hurt, $750,000 | The tornado first developed just north of Langdales Pond and Old Clyattville Road on the south side of the city of Valdosta. Some of the most severe damage was near the beginning of the track as the tornado impacted Langdale Forest Products along Old Clyattville Road. Several large metal buildings were severely damaged or destroyed and the damage to those buildings was assigned the EF2 rating that is the maximum for this tornado. Some vehicles parked near those buildings were tossed around 70 yards across the street. Two rail cars nearby were also tipped over. The remainder of the track consisted of EF0 or EF1 damage as the tornado moved east and eventually dissipated near south Patterson Street and Dampier Street. That damage in the remainder of the track was a mixture of damage to buildings, trees, and power lines. Monetary damage was estimated.||This was the first tornado to directly affect the city of Valdosta since an F1-rated tornado on November 1, 1997. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | 1 hurt, $10,000 | Downed trees blocked several roads. One tree fell on a house. Another tree fell on a vehicle. The occupant suffered minor injuries. Reported by the Valdosta Daily Times. |
| August 2006 | Lightning | Valdosta | 1 hurt | The Valdosta Police Department reported a person injured by lightning. |
| May 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $500,000 | Several large trees and power lines were downed while numerous homes and vehicles suffered damage from wind blown debris. An estimated 5000 people were without power after the storm hit. |
| November 1997 | Tornado (F1) | Valdosta | $350,000 | F1 tornado skipped across U.S. Highway 84 in the Rocky Ford Road/Troupville Highway area just west of Valdosta. Two rugged steel radio towers (300 and 500 feet tall) lifted off ground and destroyed two miles west of Interstate 75. Numerous trees and power poles snapped. Approximately 35 homes and businesses sustained damage in Valdosta. Several mobile homes heavily damaged. One mobile home blown 30 feet onto a vehicle. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $250,000 | Straight-line winds destroyed three mobile homes, a wood frame house, and a church in Valdosta. Numerous trees and power lines downed throughout Valdosta. Dime sized hail reported in northeast Valdosta. |
| February 2006 | Flood | Valdosta | $150,000 | Three to five inches of rain Thursday afternoon flooded several intersections and low-lying areas. The heavy rains caused the roof of a video store to collapse. There was extensive damage and a portion of the building will have to be rebuilt. Reported by the Valdosta Daily Times. |
| January 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $150,000 | A large oak tree fell onto a second-story apartment building causing minor damage. Thunderstorm windsripped roofs off two office supply buildings causing an estimated $50,000 damage. The Lowndes CountyEM received numerous reports of downed trees, limbs and power lines blocking several roadways andcausing scattered power outages countywide. Two power transformers caught fire in Valdosta withmore than 200 residents without electricity. Georgia Power crews were dispatched from Tifton to assistwith the repairs. |
| April 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $150,000 | The Lowndes County EMA reported numerous downed trees and power lines blocked several roads in and around Valdosta. A mobile home tipped over in high winds while transported on Perimeter Road and blocked traffic for several hours. A few small businesses suffered minor roof damage. A fallen tree crushed a pickup truck on Jerry Jones Road. Scattered power outages affected over 1,000 customers. Georgia Power crews from Tifton as well as the Valdosta fire, police, public works and Lowndes County Sheriff were called to remove fallen debris and redirect traffic. |
| April 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $100,000 | Roof damage occurred to the Salvation Army store on North Ashley Street resulting in water damage to over half the building. Monetary damage was estimated. |
| March 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $100,000 | Two homes damaged. Reported by the Lowndes County EMA. |
| August 2023 | Flash Flood | Valdosta | $50,000 | The road was washed out near the intersection of Hunt Road and Inner Perimeter Road due to flash flooding. |
| August 2023 | Flash Flood | Valdosta | $50,000 | A portion of N Barack Obama Blvd was washed out due to flash flooding. |
| August 2023 | Flash Flood | Valdosta | $50,000 | A portion of Northside Dr was washed out due to flash flooding. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $50,000 | Numerous trees and power lines down throughout the city. Some vehicles were damaged by fallen trees. Reported by the Valdosta Police Department. |
| September 2014 | Flash Flood | Valdosta | $30,000 | Very heavy rainfall in a short period of time led to flooding near downtown Valdosta with some vehicles reported to be stalled in high water. Monetary damage was estimated. |
| August 2012 | Lightning | Valdosta | $30,000 | Per the Valdosta Daily Times, lightning struck a rail car and caused a fire at the Arizona Chemical company. The rail car contained resin, but the fire was contained with no injuries. Monetary damage was estimated. |
| February 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $30,000 | Thunderstorm winds knocked trees and power lines down along Georgia State Road 31, two miles south of Interstate 75. |
| April 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $25,000 | A tree fell on a house on Worth Ave. Damage was estimated. |
| November 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $20,000 | A few trees were blown down in Valdosta. One tree fell on a building, one on a car, and one across a road. No injuries occurred. Monetary damage was estimated. |
| February 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $20,000 | Numerous trees down. Two homes damaged by fallen trees. Reported by Lowndes County 911. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $18,500 | Twenty-five to thirty trees were blown down around the county with power outages in the city of Valdosta. Minor roof damage to the roof of a restaurant on Ashley Street also occurred. The monetary damage figure provided is a rough estimate. |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $15,000 | A tree was blown down onto a house on Cypress Street. Damage was estimated. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $10,000 | A tree was blown down onto a house on E Cranford Ave in Valdosta. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $10,000 | A church steeple blew off along Knights Academy Road. |
| August 2019 | Lightning | Valdosta | $10,000 | Two houses were struck by lightning in Valdosta. |
| August 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $10,000 | There were approximately 60 reports of trees and power lines down in Valdosta and extending into southern Lowndes county. Damage was estimated. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $10,000 | Two trees and two power lines were blown down. One tree landed on a house. |
| August 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $10,000 | One residence had 6 to 7 trees blown down and many shingles blown off the roof. Damage was estimated. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $10,000 | Large trees fell on two houses along Adams Road. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $10,000 | The Valdosta Fire Department reported downed trees and power lines on St Augustine Road. A tree fell on a house on Oakdale Drive. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $10,000 | A SKYWARN storm spotter reported downed trees and power lines on the north and east portions of Valdosta. |
| June 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $10,000 | A tree fell on a house in north Valdosta. A few trees and power lines were down. Reported by the Valdosta Police Department. |
| July 2002 | Lightning | Valdosta | $10,000 | Lightning damaged several electrical components and air conditioning units to a water treatment facility. Reported by the Valdosta Daily Times. |
| January 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $8,000 | A few power lines were blown down and one tree fell on a vehicle near Valdosta, but no injuries were reported. Monetary damage was estimated. |
| August 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $7,000 | Three areas of trees were blown down in Valdosta, including a tree on a house on Troup Street. Monetary damage was estimated. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $5,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down around the county. |
| April 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $5,000 | Several trees and power lines were blown down in Valdosta. |
| March 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $5,000 | Several trees and power lines were blown down in Valdosta. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $5,000 | Valdosta state em/police reported two downbursts with winds estimated in excess of 60 mph. Trees were blown down. The monetary damage figure provided is a rough estimate. |
| October 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $5,000 | A large tree fell on a vehicle on Clover Drive. Another large tree blocked traffic on East Alden Avenue. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $5,000 | On Skipper Bridge Road, a traffic light was blown down. Several trees were down, with one on a house. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $5,000 | A few large trees were down. One fell on a trailer. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $5,000 | A few large trees were down. One fell on a house along Parkwood Drive. |
| September 2004 | Tornado (F0) | Valdosta | $5,000 | A weak tornado briefly touched down and uprooted several trees. One tree was hurled into a garage. Reported by the public. |
| March 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $5,000 | Several downed trees and power lines reported by Lowndes County 911. |
| October 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $5,000 | A Lowndes County 911 operator reported numerous downed trees and power lines. |
| March 2001 | Lightning | Valdosta | $5,000 | Lightning struck a home on Deborah Drive. Reported by the Thomasville Times Enterprise. |
| April 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $5,000 | The Lowndes County EMA reported trees and power lines down on GA 94 near the Lowndes-Echols county line. |
| November 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $5,000 | Two houses each had trees blown onto them causing damage according to the sheriffs office. |
| January 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $4,000 | Sporadic trees and power lines were blown down in Lowndes county. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $4,000 | There were several reports of trees and power lines down within the city limits of Valdosta. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $4,000 | Dispatch reported 7 locations with trees down in the city of Valdosta, and power lines were also down. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $3,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across Lowndes county. |
| January 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $3,000 | There were several reports of trees and power lines down in Lowndes county. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $3,000 | Trees were blown down on Inner Perimeter Road at East Park Ave. A couple of traffic lights and power lines were also downed. |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $3,000 | A power line was blown down near E College Street. |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $3,000 | A power line was blown down on the north side of Valdosta. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $3,000 | Power lines were blown down on the east side of Valdosta. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valdosta | $3,000 | Several trees and power lines were blown down around Valdosta. Monetary damage was estimated. |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | North Patterson Street Historic District | 0.4 miles | 1984 |
 | Crescent, The | 0.5 miles | 1980 |
 | Brookwood North Historic District | 0.6 miles | 1995 |
 | Barber-Pittman House | 0.8 miles | 1980 |
 | Valdosta Commercial Historic District (Boundary Increase) | 0.8 miles | 2002 |
 | Fairview Historic District | 0.9 miles | 1984 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 04000957 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Lowndes County | All 18 listed properties in this county. |
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