Birge Memorial
Open Air
Twelve Doric columns stand at attention around the sarcophagus of George K. Birge. The memorial, erected in 1929 by McDonald and Sons of Buffalo, is a good example of the trend in the 1920’s and 30’s toward less surface ornamentation.
Rings of columns surrounding buildings are known as peristyles. When the columns are arranged in a circle, as seen here, they are known as tholos forms. The tholos form of architecture is well adapted to situations where the designer is presenting a building of simple, dignified and ethereal beauty.
George K. Birge, who will spend eternity in his gleaming white sarcophagus was a wallpaper manufacturer and President of the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company.
Text and photo © Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page
[address cemetery=”Forest Lawn Cemetery” street=”1411 Delaware Avenue” city=”Buffalo” state=”New York” zip=”14209″]
