What a spectacular day-trip! If you have never visited the grounds of this 1847 oasis, including 135 acres, make plans to go! Two US Presidents buried are here, as well as President of the Confederate states, 6 Governors of Virginia, notable monuments, mausoleums, 80,000 buried here, views of the city skyline, historic native trees, and of course, the grave marker of my GREAT-GREAT-GRAND FATHER, Francis Marion Trenor.
There were 18,000 Confederate soldiers buried here with 3,000 from Gettysburg. .... 2000 were unknown. At the entrance to the Confederate section of the cemetery stands a 90' tall granite pyramid that honors Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. The pyramid was built from roughly cut granite blocks from the nearby James River, and designed by Confederate Army Captain Charles H. Dimmock. The street sign separates the Confederate section from the rest of the cemetery. The Hollywood Cemetery Cannon stands in front of the Confederate Monument.
The Civil War soldiers' headstones were pointed on top to keep Union soldiers from sitting on top of them!
The two Presidents buried in the cemetery are James Monroe's Tomb(also known as "The Birdcage") and John Tyler's monument.
John Tyler's eldest daughter is buried close by.
And the grave of President Jefferson Davis(CSA) is here, as well as the Jeff Davis mausoleum angel.
All of the Presidents are buried within the Presidents Circle area.
The Palmer Chapel Mausoleum is perched on the banks of the James River, and was built in 1992.
The final resting place for Lewis Ginter, a prominent businessman, epitomizes Victorian-era architecture. This mausoleum was constructed in 1897.
Several overlooks near the Palmer Mausoleum offer views of the James River, Kanawha Canal, Richmond skyline and downtown bridges.
Not to be missed is the most well-known monuments in Hollywood Cemetery....The Iron Dog. The statue stands guard over the grave of a little girl, Florence Bernardin Rees, who died in 1862. The area is often referred to as "Black Dog Hill", where gifts and coins are often left.
The name Hollywood Cemetery comes from the holly trees that dot the cemetery grounds.
The building at the entrance to Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, isa Gothic Revival stone structure that houses the chapel, office, and receiving vault.
I may have to return to purchase the book, as my legacy is written in these pages.
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