Slark and Letchford Tombs
Both of these tombs, constructed in 1868, are classified under the broad umbrella of revival styles of architecture, with the Slark mausoleum leaning toward Classical Revival and the Letchford more in keeping with Gothic Revival forms. It looks like some giant stepped on the Letchford tomb and all that remains above ground is its steepled top. The Letchford mausoleum is reminiscent of the early Gothic Revival period that is also referred to as Medieval Revival. This style of architecture was popular in the mid nineteenth century and preceded the more exuberant Victorian Gothic styles.
The tombs were probably designed by Theodore Brune and erected by George Stroud. The styling is indicative of Brune’s work and both men were active in the funerary arts when these two mausoleums were constructed. Both Robert Slark (d. 1868), who was in the hardware business, and the W.H. Letchford family (the Letchford tomb contains the remains of Sarah Augusta Slark, d. 1868, wife of W.H. Letchford) were wealthy New Orleanians.
Cypress Grove Cemetery, better known as the Fireman’s Cemetery, was founded in 1840 by the Fireman’s Charitable and Benevolent Association.
Text and photo © Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page
[address cemetery=”Cypress Grove Cemetery” street=”124 City Park Avenue” city=”New Orleans” state=”Louisiana” zip=”70119″]
Lewis Henry Morgan Mausoleum
Protruding from the hillside along Ravine Avenue in Rochester’s Mount Hope Cemetery is the High Victorian Gothic mausoleum of Lewis Henry Morgan (1818-1881). Like many sandstone mausoleums it is slowly eroding away, which only serves to enhance its brooding Gothic ornaments. The universal feature of all Gothic architecture is the pointed arch seen here in the entry and the fenestrations at the top of the twin steeples. The line of quatrefoils on the balustrade is also Gothic inspired.
Lewis Henry Morgan’s studies of the culture of the Seneca Indians earned him the title, “father of the science of anthropology”.
Mount Hope Cemetery, established in 1838, bills itself as America’s first municipal, Victorian cemetery. Among notables buried at Mount Hope are Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony and the Bausch and Lomb families.
Rochester’s most famous citizen, George Eastman, who founded the Eastman Kodak Company was cremated at Mount Hope, but his ashes lie beneath a giant cylindrical stone monument at the entrance to Kodak Park in Rochester.
Text and photo © Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page
[address cemetery=”Mount Hope Cemetery” street=”1133 Mount Hope Avenue” city=”Rochester” state=”New York” zip=”14620″]
Drake Mausoleum
Flying sphinxes stand ready to swoop down on unwelcome visitors at the Drake family mausoleum. As with most Egyptian Revival architecture, a little Greek and perhaps a little Classical architecture is thrown in for good measure. In Egyptian mythology, these stone guardians or Shesep-ankth (living statues), were always male, usually a lion’s body and a man’s head. In Greek mythology however, sphinx were female. Most Egyptian Revival mausolea sport the Greek variety because of their association with maternal care.
Further relieving the cold, hard granite are the vulture wing and sun design carved above the entry (more maternal care symbolism), rounded corners of the mausoleum and lotus blossoms on the door and etched into the pilasters.
A number of Drakes and members of their extended family are entombed inside, including Thomas Drake Martinez Cardeza and his mother Mrs. Charlotte Drake Martinez Cardeza. Thomas and Charlotte were survivors of an “unsinkable” ship that ran into an iceberg in April of 1912. Mrs. Cardeza’s brush with death as a passenger on the Titanic was just another adventure for her. Her big game adventures in Asia and Africa were frequently described by newspapers of the day.
The Drake mausoleum was originally at Laurel Hill Cemetery, but both bodies and mausoleum were moved to West Laurel Hill.
Text and photo © Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page
[address cemetery=”West Laurel Hill Cemetery” street=”Lower Merion” city=”Bala Cynwyd” state=”Pennsylvania” zip=”19004″]
Longstreet Mausoleum
This towering pyramid, now sealed for all time, holds the remains of members of the Longstreet family. Cornelius Tyler Longstreet, (1814-1881), who built the mausoleum, was a successful merchant in the wholesale clothing trade. He also served on the board of directors of two Syracuse banks.
Initially, Longstreet built a different mausoleum on this site. However, it did not fare well in the harsh, upstate New York winters. So, he went back to the drawing board and he replaced it with this pyramid. The interior of the tomb once contained elegantly carved tablets, sculpture, furniture and a Persian rug. Unfortunately, the tomb has now been sealed due to repeated vandalism.
Text and photo © Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page
[address cemetery=”Oakwood Cemetery” street=”940 Comstock Avenue” city=”Syracuse” state=”New York” zip=”13210″]
Childs and Baeder Mausoleums
Two Classical Revival mausolea catch the first rays of the summer sun at Laurel Hill Cemetery. Both mausolea are in an area known as Millionaire’s Circle, which contains a collection of monuments and mausoleums of rich and famous Philadelphians.
George William Childs made his fortune selling and publishing books and in 1864 became the publisher of the Public Ledger, Philadelphia’s major newspaper. He was a consummate host, entertaining presidents (Grant, Hayes, Arthur and Cleveland) and poets (Longfellow, Holmes and Emerson) at his city and country estates.
Unfortunately, little is known about the Baeder mausoleum.
Text and photo © Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page
[address cemetery=”Laurel Hill Cemetery” street=”3822 Ridge Avenue” city=”Philadelphia” state=”Pennsylvania” zip=”19132″]
Betz Mausoleum
One of the largest mausoleums in West Laurel Hill Cemetery is the Classical Revival Betz mausoleum. Years of exposure to the elements have given its copper dome as well as its bronze doors a rich patina. The pediment, pilasters, blind windows, urns and lofty angel are all Classical Revival fare. Inside the mausoleum is an elaborate spiral staircase leading a flight down to the 30 underground crypts.
John F. Betz (1831-1908) was one of Philadelphia’s beer barons. He also owned a number of real estate holdings in Philadelphia, New York and Stuttgart, Germany. The family estate Betzwood, which was sold following his death, became famous as Lubin Studios, the world’s largest silent movie studio. Fans of the cinema wishing to experience the pastoral beauty of Betzwood may want to secure a copy of a silent movie shot at Betzwood, “Tillie’s Tomato Surprise” staring popular movie star of the day, Marie Dressler.
Text and photo © Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page
[address cemetery=”West Laurel Hill Cemetery” street=”Lower Merion” city=”Bala Cynwyd” state=”Pennsylvania” zip=”19004″]
Poth Mausoleum
The Poth mausoleum is a Classical Revival showcase with a flowery topped dome punctuated with a stylized pine-apple, antifixes on every corner, Corinthian columns, stained glass above the door, dentils, twin bronze capped urns, wreathes and more. All of this ornament seems fitting for a baron, even if he was a “beer baron”.
Frederick August Poth (1840-1905), was born in Germany and came to Philadelphia in 1861. By 1863 he had married and set up a small brewery in his backyard. Mr. Poth had both business acumen and good brewing recipes. By 1875, F.A. Poth and Sons was the largest brewery in the United States, a claim it held until Poth’s death in 1905. In addition to his brewery, Poth was quite active in real estate, acquiring and developing properties in the Parkside Avenue, Viola Street and Memorial Hall areas of Philadelphia.
Text and photo © Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page
[address cemetery=”West Laurel Hill Cemetery” street=”Lower Merion” city=”Bala Cynwyd” state=”Pennsylvania” zip=”19004″]
Ghirardelli Mausoleum
If you wanted a final statement about how wealthy you were in the San Francisco Bay Area, you chose a site Millionaires Row in Oakland’s Mountain View Cemetery. Domingo Ghirardelli, whose name has become synonymous with fine chocolates, made such a choice. On the right is the Ghirardelli family mausoleum.
The Ghirardelli family plot was originally at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, adjacent to Mountain View. According to local legend, Domingo Ghirardelli’s young granddaughter, Aurelia, became gravely ill in 1879 and a priest refused to give her last rites (the speculation was that the Ghirardelli family was behind in their tithe payments). Thus, young Aurelia died without receiving the sacraments. This so irritated Ghirardelli that he forbade any members of his family to enter a Catholic church again.
In 1890, Domingo Ghirardelli had the mausoleum in the photograph constructed at Mountain View. Then, one night, he and his sons took a wagon to St. Mary’s Cemetery, removed the four bodies from the Ghirardelli tomb, transported and reinterred them at Mountain View. As a further slap in the face of the Catholic Church, Ghirardelli had a most un-Catholic Masonic emblem carved above the mausoleum’s entrance.
Note the hourglass with wings emblem beneath the mourning woman sculpture. This graphically symbolizes that time flies, so live life to the fullest, while you have it. The severe lines of the structure are essentially Egyptian Revival, especially the battered shape of the entry. The Ghirardelli mausoleum is essentially a pedestal for the weeping woman sculpture rather than a fully realized building.
Text and photo © Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page
[address cemetery=”Mountain View Cemetery” street=”” city=”Oakland” state=”California” zip=”94611″]
Merritt Mausoleum
The Merritt mausoleum is perched at the very top of Millionaires Row in Mountain View Cemetery. The mausoleum is an unconventional temple form. It would have been considered a daring and high-style expression of personal individuality. There is an interesting play of smooth and rough masonry accented with delicately sculpted Romanesque ornament.
Read More»Potter Mausoleum
The Potter mausoleum, a classic example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, has the look of a medieval fortress. It is rare for one individual to be so influential in the popularization of an architectural style that it is named after him, but so it was with Henry Hobson Richardson (1838-1886).
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