Monthly Archives: June 2019

Stained Glass Pieta

Posted on June 29, 2019 by gravelyspeaking

Many mausoleums have a window in the rear part of the tomb—often made of stained glass. Many of these windows are hand painted works of art, most often depicting religious symbolism or religious figures. This stained glass and hand-painted window … Continue reading →

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Escorts on the journey ahead

Posted on June 21, 2019 by gravelyspeaking

The modest mausoleum in the Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx was built for Charles Waite Waller (March 20, 1870-January 19, 1927) and his wife, Rose Ann Hutchcroft Waller.  Charles was born in the tiny coastal village of Anderby, England, with … Continue reading →

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Double Take

Posted on June 15, 2019 by gravelyspeaking

The Egyptian Revival was an architectural movement that swept the United States and Europe.  The movement in America was influenced by three separate events—the first was Napoleon’s defeat of Egypt in the 1790s.  Later Napoleon published the results of his … Continue reading →

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James Cash Penny, Jr.

Posted on June 13, 2019 by gravelyspeaking

The light gray granite mausoleum belongs to J. C. Penny (September 16, 1875 – February 12, 1971) the American businessman and department chain founder that bears his name. The mausoleum is relatively plain, except for the elaborate repeating pattern surrounding … Continue reading →

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The Gates Mausoleum

Posted on June 11, 2019 by gravelyspeaking

  The Gates Mausoleum (not Bill Gates, who is very much alive) in the Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx is a massive display of wealth.  Robert “Bet-a-Million” Warne Gates, who made a fortune manufacturing and selling barbed wire and founding … Continue reading →

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Double Headstones

Posted on June 10, 2019 by gravelyspeaking

In the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts, there are two gravestones, each memorializing a man and a wife’s life on the same gray slate gravestone.  Both gravestones are of similar design, with the willow and urn motif displayed in … Continue reading →

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The Beginning of the Romantic Era

Posted on June 5, 2019 by gravelyspeaking

Sacred to the memory of MRS. POLLY MANTOR Wife of Capt. Jeremiah Mantor Who died Oct. 19, 1817 Aged 31 years 8 mos & 3 days My friend and colleague, Tom, vacations on Martha’s Vineyard and during one of his … Continue reading →

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