About the Site
This site is about all of the artistic and interesting finds in cemeteries. Elaborate marble sculptures, detailed cast-iron gates and fences, unusual tombstones
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Cemetery Fences and Gates and Their Makers
The best examples of charming “Lacy Iron” in the cemetery are the elaborate gates and fences surrounding family lots. The makers are readily
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Grave Covers
Metallic grave covers, or “mounds erected over graves” were popular in the late 1800’s. They were not only decorative but were also designed
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Early New England Stone Cutters–The Stone Cutter of Boston
The Old Stone Cutter has been called a “master craftsman” that set the standard for all later carvers in the Boston area in the seventeenth century.
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Early New England Gravestone Symbols
One of the earliest tombstone symbols in the United States is the Death’s Head. Also known as the “winged skull,” it pertains to
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Emblemes and Hieroglyphicks
When I first saw Mehtabel Sheafe’s gravestone in King’s Chapel Burying Ground in Boston, Massachusetts I thought it was a mother skeleton with
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Parables in Bas Relief
While religious iconography is fairly common in the cemetery, tombstones with a bas relief depiction of a Bible story are somewhat unusual. The
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Shell Babies AKA “Babies on the Half-Shell”
Shell babies were popular in the early 1900s as they could easily be ordered from catalogs. They emerged in the United States as
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Marble Carvers–M. Muldoon & Co.
Col. Michael Macdonald Muldoon (1836-1911), was the founder of “Union Marble Works, M. Muldoon & Co.,” of Louisville, Kentucky. Born in County Cavan,
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Victorian Rustic
Treestones were a product of the Victorian Rustic era and were popular funerary monuments from the 1880s until the early 1930s. Together with
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Tomb Types
Sarcophagus The sarcophagus looks like it could contain a body, but it is rare that it actually does. The Scipio style sarcophagus is
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Children’s Graves
Children are memorialized with a variety of symbols, with cherubs or baby angels being among the most common. The little lamb conveys innocence,
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Beads and Bangles, Pebbles and Pennies
Many people pay tribute to a deceased person by placing memorabilia on their grave as a symbol of respect and support. The most
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Loyal to the End
There are many poignant stories of a faithful, furry bestie saving its master. And there are sad stories of grieving dogs that return
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Egyptian Symbolism in the Cemetery
Between the pyramid shaped mausoleums embellished with sphinxes and crawling with beetles, and giant obelisks, Egyptian symbolism is abundant in the cemetery. Snakes
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Masonic Symbolism in the Cemetery
Freemasonry, rich in symbolism, has had centuries to develop symbolic embellishments for its many ceremonies and levels of proficiency. Masons or Freemasons are
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Magnificent Mausoleums
Hudson Mausoleum The Hudson Mausoleum in Detroit’s Woodlawn Cemetery. J.L. Hudson (1846-1912), department store magnate, died of pneumonia in England. The Hudson department
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Wood & Perot Cast-Iron Cemetery Fencing
Robert Wood began manufacturing ornamental iron in Philadelphia in 1839. He joined forces with Elliston Perot to become “Wood & Perot Ornamental Iron
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Cincinnati Iron Fence Co. Cast-Iron Cemetery Fencing
The Cincinnati Iron Fence Company, Inc. was founded in 1905 by Frank Lee Stewart, its Secretary and General Manager. Its primary business was plain and
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Rogers Fence Co. Cast-Iron Cemetery Fencing
The Rogers Fence Co. was incorporated in 1882 in Springfield, Ohio. Founded by Timothy Rogers, it was reincorporated as Rogers Iron Company in
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Champion Iron Fence Co. Cast-Iron Cemetery Fencing
A close competitor to Stewart Iron works, Champion Iron Fence Company, incorporated as Champion Fence Company in 1876 by William L. Walker, James
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Stewart Iron Works Cast-Iron Cemetery Fencing
Stewart Iron Works, founded in 1862 by Richard Clayborne Stewart Sr., was the largest ornamental fence company in the world at the turn
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Peacock Foundry Cast-Iron Cemetery Fencing
Not all iron manufacturers were from the north. George Peacock, an inventor and owner of Peacock Iron Works of Selma, Alabama was in
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Haas and Heins Cast-Iron Cemetery Fencing
Reuben Haas and George L. Heins were partners in “Heins & Co.” also known as “Philadelphia Iron Works” located on Twelfth Street in
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Cemetery Symbolism–Plants
Plants are a very common motif on tombstones throughout the world, though their meanings are not always so obvious. A small selection of
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Cahaba Marble Works
J. T. Allen was just added to the Nineteenth Century Alabama Marble Carvers and Quarries pages. Allen, proprietor of Cahaba Marble Works, was
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Nineteenth Century Alabama Marble Carvers and Quarries
Early Alabama tombstones were purchased from a wide variety of talented carvers, with white marble being the most popular material for nineteenth century
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All Hallows Eve
With Halloween approaching, it’s time to bring out the spooky symbols. Early New England tombstones are the go-to for Memento Mori symbolism. Memento
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Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York
Woodlawn Cemetery, founded in 1863, is one of the largest in New York City and is a National Historic Landmark.
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Woodlawn Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan
Woodlawn’s grand mausoleums and monuments showcase a living history of individuals who contributed to the vitality of the motor city. Woodlawn’s park-like 140
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Mesopotamia Cemetery, Greene County, Alabama
First known as Oak Hill Cemetery, Mesopotamia Cemetery was established around 1822 on present-day Mesopotamia Street in Eutaw, Alabama.
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Greensboro Cemetery, Hale County, Alabama
Greensboro is a beautiful and well kept southern cemetery with plenty of white marble tombstones and county notables. The Greensboro Cemetery was established
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Burial Hill Cemetery, Plymouth, Massachusetts
Burial Hill Cemetery was established in 1622 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. It sits on a beautiful hill overlooking Plymouth Harbor. It is listed on
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Top Ten Cemeteries
Photos from my Top Ten Cemeteries
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Cemetery Symbolism–Human
Eyes, hands, fingers as well as other things humans tend to use, do or wear.
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Bonaventure and Laurel Grove Cemeteries, Savannah, Georgia
Marie M Barclay Taliaferro (1858-1893) Angel with Palm Frond,Bonaventure Cemetery Louisa Alexander Porter (1807-1888) Angel, Laurel Grove Cemetery North Winged Hourglass, Laurel Grove
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The Family Tomb
The Family Tomb, made of cast-iron, was created by the Philadelphia firm of Robert Wood & Co. and was popular in the mid-1800’s.
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King’s Chapel Cemetery, Boston, Massachusetts
King’s Chapel Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts is Boston Proper’s oldest burial place. Founded in 1630, the cemetery contains great mortality symbolism. One of
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Cemetery Symbolism–Religious
Religious symbolism is one of the most common sets of symbols found in a cemetery. Angels, anchors, crosses, books, and even Bible verses
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Magnolia Cemetery, Mobile, Alabama
The Magnolia Cemetery, established in 1836, in Mobile, Alabama is rich in symbolism. Beautiful, white marble tombstones and mausoleums are abundant in their
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Tombstone Acronyms
Acronyms cover a variety of topics, including membership such as the Knights of Columbus and Freemasons, as well as occupations such as the BLE or Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. A few interesting acronyms are highlighted below.
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Cemetery Symbolism–Mortality
From the Hour Glass to the Grim Reaper, we find constant reminders of our mortality in the cemetery.
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Mythological, Legendary and Otherwise Odd
The Cowbellion, a Socrates Monkey, Story Stones and Gargoyles are among the oddities found in cemeteries that are just not typical graveyard symbolism.
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Cemetery Symbolism–Animals and Insects
Animals run a wide range of symbolic meaning in the cemetery, from the innocent lamb to the ascending, dove escorting the soul to heaven.
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Cemetery Symbolism–Plants and Flowers
A new page introducing plant and flower symbolism has been added that includes a variety of plant symbolism photos. Plant symbolism portrays meanings
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Old Live Oak Cemetery, Selma, Alabama
Ancient oaks draped in Spanish moss, rustic cast-iron gates and ornate, marble tombstones grace the Old Live Oak cemetery in Selma, Alabama. The
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Church Street Graveyard, Mobile, Alabama
The Church Street Graveyard in Mobile, Alabama was established in 1820 when the city of Mobile purchased the land for twenty dollars. The
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