Hollywood Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia)

Hollywood Cemetery
Details
Established 1849
Country United States
Website Hollywood Cemetery
Find a Grave Find A Grave
Hollywood Cemetery
Location 412 S. Cherry St., Richmond, Virginia
Coordinates 37°32′10″N 77°27′30″W / 37.53611°N 77.45833°W / 37.53611; -77.45833Coordinates: 37°32′10″N 77°27′30″W / 37.53611°N 77.45833°W / 37.53611; -77.45833
Area 130 acres (526,000 m2)
Built 1860
Architect Pratt, William H.
NRHP Reference # 69000350[1]
VLR # 127-0221
Significant dates
Added to NRHP November 12, 1969
Designated VLR September 9, 1969[2]

Hollywood Cemetery is a large, sprawling cemetery located next to Richmond, Virginia's Oregon Hill neighborhood at 412 South Cherry Street. Characterized by rolling hills and winding paths overlooking the James River, it is the resting place of two United States Presidents, James Monroe and John Tyler, as well as the only Confederate States President, Jefferson Davis. It is also the resting place of 28 Confederate generals, more than any other cemetery in the country; these include George Pickett and J.E.B. Stuart.[3]

History

The Harvie family plot.

The land that Hollywood Cemetery currently stands on was once part of William Byrd III's estate. Later, it was owned by the Harvie family and was known as "Harvie's Woods."[3]

In the late 1840s, William Haxall and Joshua Fry hired John Notman (architect of Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia) to design the cemetery in the rural garden style. Its name, "Hollywood," came from the holly trees dotting the hills of the property.[3] Oliver Baldwin delivered the dedication address in 1849.[4]

James Monroe was reinterred from New York City to the "President's Circle" section of Hollywood cemetery on July 4, 1858 due to the efforts of Governor Henry A. Wise.[3]

In 1869, a 90-foot (27 m) high granite pyramid was built as a memorial to the more than 18,000 enlisted men of the Confederate Army buried in the cemetery.

In 1890, a chapel was constructed next to the entrance of the cemetery. This chapel now serves as the cemetery office. In 1915, the original entrance was closed and the present one was opened to better facilitate cars.[3]

Hollywood Cemetery is one of Richmond's major tourist attractions. There are many local legends surrounding certain tombs and grave sites in the cemetery, including one about a little girl and the black iron statue of a dog standing watch over her grave.[5] Other notable legends rely on ghosts haunting the many mausoleums. One of the most well-known of these is the legend of the Richmond Vampire.

A place rich in history, legend, and gothic landscape, Hollywood Cemetery is also frequented by many of the local students attending Virginia Commonwealth University.

There are two very good histories of Hollywood Cemetery:

John O. Peters, Richmond's Hollywood Cemetery (2010). Mary H. Mitchell, Hollywood Cemetery (1999).

List of notable interments and their families

Pyramid, built as a memorial to Confederate enlisted men.

(Note: This is a partial list.)

Use the following alphabetical links to find someone.

Contents :

A

B

C

D

Jefferson Davis grave at the Hollywood Cemetery

E

F

G

Lewis Ginter's grave at Hollywood Cemetery

H

I

J

K

L

M

Monroe's grave at Hollywood Cemetery. John Tyler's grave is visible in the background.

O

P

George Pickett's grave

R

S

T

Tyler's grave at Hollywood Cemetery

V

W

Y

Gallery

See also

Media related to Hollywood Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia) at Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. ↑ Staff (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 National Park Service. "Hollywood Cemetery and James Monroe Tomb". Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  4. ↑ Alfred L. Brophy, "These Great and Beautiful Republics of the Dead": Public Constitutionalism and the Antebellum Cemetery
  5. ↑ Civil War Field Trips
  6. ↑ CWGC casualty record.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, February 14, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.