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Bohemian National Cemetery
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Entrance to Bohemian National Cemetery
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| Location: | Chicago, Illinois |
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| Built: | 1877 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 06000374[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | 2006[1] |
Bohemian National Cemetery (Czech: Česko-Národní Hřbitov) is a cemetery at 5255 North Pulaski Road on the north side of Chicago, Illinois.
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The cemetery was established by members of Chicago's Czech community in 1877. The community had been outraged when a Czech Catholic woman named Marie Silhanek was denied burial at several Chicago cemeteries because she supposedly never made a final confession. In response, the Czechs purchased land in what was then Jefferson Township to create a cemetery that would be under their control.[2] The original plot of land was 50 acres (200,000 m2). Over the years, the cemetery expanded to 126 acres (0.51 km2).[3]
The cemetery was notably featured in the 1998 film U.S. Marshals.[4] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.[1]
Bohemian National Cemetery is known for its limestone gatehouse[5] and its highly decorated columbarium niches, which contain photographs, artwork, flags, and other mementos of the individuals whose ashes are stored there.[6] Czech-American military veterans are honored through an American Civil War memorial, a Spanish–American War memorial, and a World Wars memorial, which were dedicated in 1889, 1926, and 1952, respectively.[6] The cemetery also boasts two sculptures by Albin Polasek, who headed the sculpture department at the Art Institute of Chicago. They are called Mother and Pilgrim.[7]
In 2009, the cemetery added a columbarium specially dedicated to Chicago Cubs fans.[10] The structure is a replica of Wrigley Field's red brick wall, with a stained glass image of the stadium's scoreboard and a yellow 400 foot (120 m) marker. The wall contains 288 niches, and seats from Wrigley Field have been placed along its base. A Cubs fan named Dennis Mascari helped raise funds for the project in hopes of making visits to the cemetery less depressing. The cemetery agreed to let him build the columbarium on their grounds, but nixed a plan to broadcast Cubs games through a nearby speaker. The Cubs themselves were not directly involved with the project; Mascari worked with Eternal Images, which makes baseball-themed funerary products.[10]