Friends of Coleman-Leigh-Warren Cemetery
The Families
Cornerstone laid
Lindsay Coleman's name is
inscribed on a silver plate
cornerstone artifact from the
1821  Augusta First Baptist
Church.
Lindsay (1776-1821) and Sarah Stubbs (1778-1835) Coleman were born
when the great American experiment for a new society was being born.
Lindsay arrived in Augusta-Richmond County, Ga. from Spotsylvania
County, Va. when he was about 10 years old.

Spotsylvania County, Va. was home to Sarah before her arrival in
Augusta-Richmond County. It is likely that the Coleman and Stubbs
families were well acquainted before moving to Georgia.

Together, Lindsay and Sarah raised three girls and one boy, Frances, Mary
Ann, Clarissa and James Lindsay. Frances married Green Berry Marshall
and the two owned properties that are well-known in Augusta including
Meadow Garden and what are now the Augusta National Golf Club and
Appleby House.

Mary Ann married Benjamin H. Warren and thus began the
Coleman-Warren family ties. The Warrens and Marshalls also enjoyed
close ties and swapped ownership of many of the same properties over
many years including the two mentioned above. Mary Ann and Benjamin
are buried in the cemetery. Both were well known figures in
Augusta-Richmond County.

Clarissa married Robert Dawson Ware, son of Nicholas Ware, mayor and
prominent figure in Augusta civic life.

James L. married into the prominent and influential Twiggs family. James is
the subject of many intriguing situations throughout his short lifetime. Most
notably, his name appears  in Augusta tourist guide pamphlets as the
builder of the 1848 Granite Mill that today is part of the Enterprise Mill and
as builder of Sections 4 & 5 of the Augusta Canal. James is thought to be
buried in an unmarked grave in the cemetery.

Lindsay & Sarah Coleman had extensive land holdings in the city of
Augusta and Richmond and Columbia counties. Lindsay was an attorney,
captain of The Augusta Fire Company and owned the Bedford
plantation as well as other businesses in Augusta. Coleman's real estate
holdings eventually stretched along Washington Road from what is today
known as Lake Olmstead, along the Savannah River into Columbia County
sometimes on both sides of Washington Road. A project is underway that
will document these properties on a map of Richmond County.

Also, Mr. Coleman acted as the Marshall, clerk of the market and supplied
and maintained water wells for the town of Augusta.

One other interesting piece of information about Lindsay Coleman is that
his name is inscribed on the back of a silver plate that was placed in the
original 1820 cornerstone of what is today the First Baptist Church of
Augusta. That  silver plate still exists today and is on display in the
Administration Building of First Baptist Church at the Walton Way Extension
address.
The Leighs
with their grand daughter, Martha “Patsey” Leigh Longstreet, came
to be buried in the cemetery under circumstances that appear to be
rather unusual. The Longstreet name of the grand daughter is that
of the well-known Longstreets associated with Augusta: William,
Augustus Baldwin, Gen. James et al. Walter and Martha Patty
"Patsey" (Holmes) Leigh are the uncle and aunt of Benjamin Holmes
Warren.

The tale of how these three Leighs came to be buried in this cemetery
has all the elements of family drama including a forbidden marriage,   
attempted murder, grand jury inquisition and more. Arrange for an
engaging presentation for your group or organization to learn the
intriguing story.

Walter Leigh came to Augusta-Richmond County, Ga. from Virginia. A  
practicing attorney and owner of at least two plantations, Folly and
Goshen, Leigh was heavily involved in civic and social life.

As were Lindsay Coleman and Walter Leigh, Benjamin Warren was a
practicing attorney. He was also owner of the Bedford Plantation and several
other business and manufacturing enterprises. Benjamin Warren was a wise,
progressive, business individual whose timing and remarkable acumen in
business made him an extremely wealthy individual. Many of Augusta’s
existing institutions today were influenced, formed and molded by Benjamin
H. Warren.

       which the Powder Works was built
The Warrens
1819 St. Paul Church
Walter Leigh was a founding
trustee for the Protestant
Episcopal Society in 1816-1819.
Augusta National Golf Club
Before Dennis Redmond and the
Berckmans families, there were the
Colemans, Marshalls and Warrens.
James Coleman Warren, a son of Benjamin Holmes
Warren, married Edna Virginia Skinner Jones. James
purchased two 58.5 acre tracts from John Walton,
Administrator de bones non of his father's estate, for $468
each, no interest, May 11, 1887.

Edna Virginia Warren deeded one acre of land to the church
in May 1898. Today, Warren Baptist Church is a thriving
faith community in that location.

Billie Gardner Hunter, a descendant of Edna Virginia  
Warren, is a member of Warren Baptist Church. She and
her husband, Robert F. (Bob) are founding members of the
Friends of Friends of Coleman-Leigh-Warren Cemetery, Inc.
The Colemans
The design and construction of the
fence around Augusta First
Presbyterian Church was approved
and funded by Benjamin H. Warren.