Discovering Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, VA

Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, VA is an incredible repository of American history!  In its 135 acres, two United States Presidents, the only Confederate States President, 22 Confederate generals, 2 Supreme Court Justices, University presidents, newspaper editors and over 18,000 Confederate soldiers and many of Richmond's most celebrated citizens are buried here.  It is called “America's most beautiful garden cemetery” with many rolling hills and valleys, narrow winding driving lanes and stately trees.  It was designed in 1847 by Philadelphia architect, John Notman.  The name comes from the holly trees on the hills of the property.  The first burial was in 1849 but persons born as early as 1700 have been re-interred here.  It is still an active cemetery today.

U.S. Presidents in President's Circle

 

James Monroe (1758-1831) was a governor of Virginia and the 5^th President of the United States.  He is best known for the Monroe Doctrine, preventing European intervention in the Americas.  He died and was buried in New York City but was re-interred in Hollywood Cemetery in 1858, the 100^th anniversary of his birth.  His gravesite is unique with a very ornate high rectangular black cast iron cage over his granite sarcophagus. It is known locally as “The Birdcage.”

John Tyler (1790-1862) also a Virginia governor and the 10^th President of the United States.  He is known for the annexation of the Republic of Texas in 1845.  Tyler had 2 wives and 15 children, a record number of children for any of the Presidents!  He was the first U.S. Vice-President to succeed to the Presidency upon the death of the preceding President, Wm. H. Harrison.  His critics called him “His Accidency” for the way he became President.  His gravesite is marked with a bronze bust on a short pedestal with a much taller obelisk behind that was erected in 1910 by the U.S. Congress.

Confederate States of America President Jefferson Davis (1808-1889) Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, a U.S. Army colonel in the Mexican War where he was wounded, Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce and a U.S. Senator.  After the southern states began seceding from the Union, he resigned from the U.S. Senate.  He was chosen as the President of the Confederacy because of his strong political and military background and was inaugurated on February 18, 1861.  Davis is negatively compared to his Union counterpart, President Abraham Lincoln, for his ineffective leadership during the Civil War.  To Southerners, even today, he is a Civil War hero!  His gravesite is the center of a large circle overlooking the James River below. His family is buried around him.  A  lifesize bronze statue of Davis is very prominent, as is a tall flagpole flying the Confederate flag.

Varena Anne, daughter of Jeff Davis is buried here

Confederate Generals—there are 22 Confederate Generals buried in Hollywood Cemetery! The two highest profile ones are J.E.B. Stuart and George Pickett of Gettysburg fame.

JEB Stuart graduated from West Point in 1854.  He served in the U.S. Army campaigns in Texas and Kansas as a Captain.  When Virginia seceded, Stuart resigned his U.S. Army commission in May 1861 and commanded the Army of the Shenandoah Cavalry as a Colonel under Stonewall Jackson. He  became a Brigadier General in Sept. 1861 after 1^st Bull Run then in July 1862 a Major General. He was famous for 2 daring “circumnavigations” of Union Army forces! He died from a grievous wound suffered at the Battle of Yellow Tavern on May 11, 1864, only 6 miles from Richmond.

George Pickett graduated from West Point in 1846. He was wounded at the Battle of Chapultepec during the Mexican War. He was in charge of construction of Fort Bellingham in Washington Territory in 1856. In 1859, he was a Captain in command of a garrison on San Juan Island, also in Washington Territory during the peacefully settled “Pig War.”  When Virginia seceded, he resigned and soon became a Confederate Colonel.  In 1862 he became a Brigadier General then a Major General.  Pickett's Charge cost nearly ½ of his 3 divisions of men!  He was present at Appomattox during the surrender.

The Pyramid Confederate Soldiers Monument—this 90 foot tall granite block pyramid, which was completed in 1869, memorializes the eighteen thousand Confederate soldiers buried in Hollywood Cemetery, including 2000 killed in the Battle of Gettysburg.

Hollywood Cemetery has many very ornate gravesites.  One of the favorites is the grave of a small girl with a fullsize bronze sculpture of her dog watching over her!  Here are a few photographs of this and other especially impressive graves.
 

Hollywood Cemetery is a fascinating place to visit in  person but if you cannot, their website hollywoodcemetery.org has a very interesting slide show and short biography of each of 49 well known people buried in the cemetery.  The cemetery is open 8-5 daily for visitors and historical walking tours are conducted at 10 AM Monday-Saturday in April-October.  A colorful map with locations of best known features is available for a small fee at the entrance.  We recommend a visit to Hollywood Cemetery for its display of United States and Confederate history.

The beautiful crape myrtle trees in the cemetery