- Photos posted on my blog are mine unless stated otherwise. BH

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Petersburg va cemetery

This is a  long post with lots of pictures,  but some of the head stones are beautiful.   I wanted to record as many as I could here.


Blandford church below -  Will post about the church after I tour it in the coming weeks,  didn't have enough time on this visit to visit the graveyard and the church both,  so just the cemetery
   Blandford Church
Since the early 18th century this cemetery has been used as a burial ground adjacent to Blandford Church. The oldest grave dates back from 1702. Major General William Phillips a foreigner , British citizen and commander of the British troops is buried here, during the battle of Petersburg April 25, 1781.
Following a fever - Malaria or Typhus , he died May 13 1781.
In 1914 the Daughters of the American Revolution erected a memorial stone -  stands next to Blandford church , the general location  marking the secret burial of Phillips - this directed by his deputy commander -Brigadier General Benedict Arnold.


Annette above at the gates of deceased family


18th,  19th,  20th century funeral art is here shown in the intricate fences,  tombs,  gravestones.
Reminds me some of the Cemetery in Richmond, Va.
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Info below on the monument shown in above picture
the cast iron fence surround shows the arms used to fight the war at that time.




cockade monument-   errected over the grave of Capt.  Richard McRae-honoring him and volunteers of Petersburg in the war of 1812.    Eagle is covered in 23 k. gold
base of cockade monument

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first memorial day- June 1866 was celebrated honoring the 30,000 confederate soldiers  buried on Memorial hill in cemetery.
civil war
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some of the trees here are massive as you can see with Annette standing in front of a cedar


door open to family plots
I held the camera up high to take a picture inside of the gate

another walled area of graves
inside of walled plots
 
 
inscription for the marker above with the planter at foot
 
 
 
 
Bowing angel enlarged from side view  - below of the one above
 
 
the second angel and inscription below




Intricate iron gate
another view
 
below a closeup of above





 
 
Would love to be able to take the All Hallows Eve tour around the cemetery
 


this was a sharp curve driving downhill around this crypt







ornamentation on top of monument above   -      wonder about kinship here




invading tree roots


myrtle


I am sharing with Wow us Wednesdays  check it out along with  tuesdays treasures and Oh the Places I've Been

Happy Halloween

3 comments:

  1. Hi Betsy. What a perfect subject for Halloween. Great timing. I really love old cemeteries. I think it is so important that they be kept up out of respect but so many of them aren't. We have one up here, that has all the beautiful iron work fencing and gates around the graves but they are so torn up. I find it fascinating to read all of the different inscriptions..Happy Halloween..Judy

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  2. Oh wow Betsy, what beautiful stones. And gorgeous iron fencing! I love the sound effects you have to go along with it. Very clever. :) Have a wonderful Hallowe'en.
    Gina

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  3. I have been told by a friend who works in Petersburg that I would love to visit this cemetery. With your photos, I almost feel as if I HAVE been there ... and now I'm motivated to make the trip! This place resembles Hollywood Cemetery, with the beautiful monuments and fences and statues ... but it lacks the trees and garden nature of Hollywood. I wonder if there used to be trees and roses and the like, and what happened to them if they were once there.

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