Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester
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Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, New York, founded in 1838, is the United States' first municipal Victorian cemetery. Situated on 196 acres (793,000 m²) of land adjacent to the University of Rochester on Mount Hope Avenue, the cemetery is the permanent resting place of over 350,000 people. The annual growth rate of this cemetery is 500-600 burials per year.
Geology of Mount Hope About 12,000 to 14,000 years ago, Mount Hope was covered with ice one to two miles thick. As the glacier receeded, cracks appeared in the ice, and these crevasses became rivers of water and gravel. When the miles-high ice sheets finally melted, these river beds were left as ridges created from all the rock and rubble that had been deposited by the flowing river. In geological terms, these ridges are called esker. One such esker snakes its way through much of Mount Hope Cemetery. The Seneca Indians used it as a trail from the Bristol Hills south of Rochester to Lake Ontario on the city's northern border. For them, it provided a continuous high path through the moraine and visibility of valleys around them. Today, this esker is a principal vehicular lane through the cemetery and is called Indian Trail Avenue.
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[edit] Notable burials
- Susan B. Anthony
- John Jacob Bausch
- Frederick Douglass
- Frank E. Gannett
- Henry Lomb
- Lewis Henry Morgan
- Nathaniel Rochester
- George B. Selden
- Hiram Sibley
- Don Alonzo Watson
- Margaret Woodbury Strong
- Henry R Selden
- Jonathan Child
- Nathaniel Rochester
- Lewis Henry Morgan
- George Ellwanger
- Johnny Baker
- Elizabeth Hollister Frost
- General E.G. Marshall
- John Snell
- Jacob Myers
- Myron Holley
- Henry O'Reilly
- James Vick
- Frank Gannett
- Alexander Millener
- Lillian Wald
- Fletcher Steele
[edit] Friends of Mount Hope
The Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery is a non-profit organization of volunteers founded in 1980 to restore, preserve, and encourage public use and enjoyment of this unique historical treasure.
The Friends of Mount Hope have been instrumental in completing a number of improvements throughout the cemetery. Projects such as the restoration of the 1872 Moorish gazebo, upgrades to the 1874 High Victorian Gothic gatehouse, repair and uprighting of stones, monuments and obelisks, and the rebuilding of the cobblestone road (Ravine Avenue) have been completed.
They even allow volunteers to take part in the restoration with the "Adopt-A-Plot" program. Each year volunteers willing to reclaim and beautify old family plots help keep the rich history of this cemetery alive for future generations.
If you plan on visiting this unique landmark you can stop at the gatehouse where a free pocket guide which includes a map of Mount Hope Cemetery is available.
[edit] Mount Hope Historians
Richard O. Reisem
Richard Reisem is a Rochester resident and the cities unofficial historian. He wrote the text to the first book written about the history of Mount Hope in its 166 year existence. The photographs were taken by Frank Gillespie and the narration was provided by Richard Reisem. He has written six books covering diverse subjects concerned with history and architecture. Richard is a trustee of the cemetery and also provides guided tours.
Mount Hope Cemetery: America's First Municipal Cemetery
The Friends of Mount Hope published a coffee table book about the cemetery. Tales of heroism, tragedy, romance, torture, achievement, suicide, adventure, pageantry, intrigue, embezzlement, weird happenings, fame, and even cannibalism are interwoven with rich, moody large duotone photographs of Rochester's world-famous cemetery.
