Gerrard Mausoleum
Modern
Built in 1936 for the Gerrard family, this was one of the last of the grand mausoleums built at Spring Grove. Its architecture is entirely appropriate for the times: a blend of modern classicism and art deco. Its smooth surfaces and restrained embellishments are often seen in public buildings built around the same time.
Although the Gerrard mausoleum is a blend of modern architectural styles, the bronze door, with its grape leaf pattern in the form of a tree, is in the Arts and Crafts style. Arts and Crafts architecture and the Arts and Crafts aesthetic flourished in the first few decades of the twentieth century. The style was a reaction to the excessive ornamentation and ostentatiousness of the Victorian era and proposed a return to simple hand-made goods. One of the basic tenants of Arts and Crafts architecture and ornament was the use of natural materials and when that was not possible, as in the case of this bronze door, to use ornament to express the natural world. The window grills are more Art Deco in their design.
Text and photo © Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page
[address cemetery=”Spring Grove Cemetery” street=”Spring Grove Ave” city=”Cincinnati” state=”Ohio” zip=”45232″]
