Before the “North Bank Trail“, this is a photo taken from Hollywood Cemetery, looking up the James River and Kanawha Canal.
Historic Photo of Upriver
Reply
Category Archives: Hollywood Cemetery
Hollywood Cemetery Rifle Fire This Saturday
According to Hollywood Cemetery officials, there will be rifle fire this Saturday at about 2:30 – 3:00 PM in the Confederate Soldiers Section.
Editor’s note: Maybe that will scare some of the suburban joggers into picking up their pace.
New Overlooks For Hollywood Cemetery
The Times Dispatch has news of three new overlook river viewing areas planned for Hollywood Cemetery.
Excerpt from article:
“It’s going to be a beautiful spot where you can really come and sit and enjoy the spectacular view,” said Kelly Jones Wilbanks, the executive director of Friends of Hollywood Cemetery.
She said construction of the first overlook is scheduled to begin with a groundbreaking Friday, and work should be complete this spring.
The structure will include landscaping and “ample seating,” she said. It’s being designed by Van Yahres Studio of BCWH Architects.
Repairing Monroe’s Tomb
Excerpt:
The ornate tomb of James Monroe in Richmond’s Hollywood Cemetery will undergo a yearlong restoration intended to preserve its iron canopy, known as the “Birdcage,” in the hopes of restoring its original color.
The tomb of America’s fifth president will be taken apart starting this week, according to the state Department of General Services, which announced the $900,000 repair project Tuesday morning. The canopy will be disassembled and removed, while the granite sarcophagus will remain in place.
The work, expected to be completed by next September, is being timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Monroe’s election as president in 1817.
VCU Commonwealth Times On Hollywood Cemetery- Online
VCU Commonwealth Times newspaper has an article on Hollywood Cemetery’s increasing internet presence. Here is a few excerpts:
Hollywood Cemetery launched an online virtual tour in the beginning of August, with plans to incorporate even more content over the next 12 to 18 months. These additions will include increased tour options, content and connections to the cemetery genealogy database.
…
The online tour begins at the front gate and includes eight stops including the Iron Dog, Davis Circle and Mausoleum. Users can go through the online tour at their own pace. The virtual tour highlights the most popular of more than 60,000 cemetery sites, including former U.S. Presidents John Tyler and James Monroe. Each stop on the virtual tour provides pictures and a historical description. Users can also bookmark or favorite certain stops they want to explore more in person.“It allows people all around the country to access the stories and beauty of the Hollywood cemetery from their home computers,” Allen said. “We believe it is important for the world to have access to these incredibly interesting stories even if they are unable to visit in person.
“The Early Rivals Of Hollywood Cemetery” On Wednesday
From Hollywood Cemetery Events webpage:
Join us for a presentation by Dr. Ryan K. Smith, Associate Professor of History at Virginia Commonwealth University.
The speaker will discuss the rural cemetery movement and the founding of Hollywood Cemetery, including discussion about the designer John Notman. The presentation will take place on Wednesday, September 23, 2015 at 7:00pm.
St. Catherine’s School
Kenan Flagler Auditorium
6001 Grove Ave.
Richmond, VA
For more information, please email Nancy Shepherd at nshepherd@hollywoodcemetery.org.
Cars of the Pyramid
Neighbor Todd Woodson took this photo today:
Don’t forget that Hollywood Cemetery is participating in The Amazing Raise on September 16-17 and they need your support!
Hosted by The Community Foundation, The Amazing Raise is a two-day online giving event designed to elevate and celebrate the work of local nonprofits.
To support Hollywood Cemetery during this event, simply visit The Amazing Raise website and search for Friends of Hollywood Cemetery. From there, you can make a secure online donation with a minimum gift amount of $25. All credit and debit cards are accepted.
Participate in this fun 36-hour event to help support a Richmond treasure! Find more information here: www.theamazingraise.org.
Hollywood Cemetery Cleaned Their Sidewalk…
…And it looks great!
Hollywood Cemetery’s New Enterprises
Richmond BizSense has an article on Hollywood Cemetery’s new businesses:
Excerpts:
RVA Gem Car Tours recently began selling private tours of Hollywood Cemetery on six-person electric carts.
Owner Buck Ward said the venture, which launched in May, is a spin-off of his other businesses Segway of Richmond, which launched in 2008, and RVA Trolley, which got rolling in 2012.
Ward said the cemetery tour business is in keeping with his mission of letting people experience Richmond in different ways. He said the carts cater to groups too big for a Segway tour but too small to rent out a trolley.
“This is another way to see and discover Richmond,” Ward said. “It’s more geared toward private tours.”
RVA Gem Car Tours has three Polaris GEM cars in its fleet. Ward said they cost about $20,000 apiece – the price includes the cost to install solar panels on each vehicle. The cars are street legal and can go as fast as 24 miles per hour.
…
On the virtual side of things, the nonprofit Friends of Hollywood Cemetery launched an interactive website in July that lets users take virtual tours of the burial ground.
The group enlisted local ad firm Addison Clark, the agency of record for the cemetery.
Jeff Allen, managing partner at Addison Clark, said the new site caters to the two segments Hollywood Cemetery serves: tourists and plot seekers.
“Hollywood Cemetery is a very unique entity,” Allen said. “Everyone thinks of them as an outdoor museum. Not a lot of folks know that they are an open, functioning cemetery. Those that do know assume they are cost prohibitive or for old Richmond elite.”
Over the course of about six months, Addison Clark and HostRVA, formerly NimblePitch, built a digitized map of Hollywood Cemetery and overlaid it with GPS coordinates. They then focused on compiling online reference materials and integrating them with points of interest on the digital map.
The website can be used both by on-site visitors looking for interactive, self-guided tours and by remote desktop users curious about the cemetery.
Symbolism and Monument Styles Walking Tour of Hollywood Cemetery Today
There is a Symbolism and Monument Styles Walking Tour of Hollywood Cemetery today from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Learn to interpret the spiritual, occupational, vegetal and fraternal signs and symbols found on headstones and ironworks. Discover the historical origins of monument styles including cradle stones, pyramids, pier stones, mausoleums and reliquaries. Meet at the entrance at Cherry and Albemarle streets.
$15 per person
$5 for Valentine Members
Walk-ups welcome.
Cash or check
On-street parking.
– See more at the Valentine’s event page.
Fun fact: The office at Hollywood Cemetery was first built as a gate house, designed to look like the ruins of a stone tower. It cost just over $2,000 to construct.