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| Cemetery in snow |
When someone asks what I do for fun, I reply that I’m a tombstone tourist. It’s nice that there is a word to describe those of us who love to go to cemeteries. Otherwise, we would have to do a lot of explaining, (which I did until I found ‘the word.’)
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A winter sunset in
the cemetery |
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Brian Neighbors -
A Tombstone Tourist |
Tombstone tourist is a term that caught on after Scott Stanton published his book by the same name in 2003. (The book is about popular musicians and where they are buried.) Before that, those of us who frequented cemeteries were known, singularly, as a ‘taphophile’ – someone who has “a passion for and enjoyment of cemeteries”. Or in the plural form, by the term ‘taphophilia.’
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| Neglected Crypt |
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| Military Cemetery |
Of course, there are other terms that attempt to describe those of us who love visiting graveyards, searching for tombstones and admiring mausoleums. Just a few of the more popular are ‘grave hunter,’ ‘cemetery enthusiast,’ and ‘graver.’ All sound a bit adventurous, a bit like a PBS documentary title. But I prefer being called a ‘tombstone tourist.’ It has a more up-beat sound and it makes more sense to me, because we are tourists – on a journey, making discoveries, enjoying ourselves, and our pursuit. I know I am not a graver - it just sounds a bit odd and morbid to me.
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| Sunlit Mausoleum |
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| Frankfort, Kentucky Cemetery |
When asked what a tombstone tourist is, I can talk (at length) about the cemeteries I have visited, and the ones I want to, expounding on the treasures found there – the exquisite architecture, the impressive history, the genealogical aspects, the magnificent statues, the puzzling symbols, and the fact that I get to enjoy all of this – outside – without crowds, deadlines or paying an outlandish amount for an entertaining afternoon.
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| Sunlight on a stone |
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Old Cathedral,
Vincennes, Indiana |
And we have history! Tombstone tourists have existed for thousands of years. In China, ancestor worship – where family members visit the graves of ancestors, decorate them and ask for their guidance or favor - has been in practice since ancient times. In numerous countries, pilgrimages are still made to the burial sites of saints and other religious figures, to honor them and seek assistance.
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| Autumn in the cemetery |
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| A Tombstone Tourist Day for me |
The advent of the internet has changed what we do, in a way. Now, you can ‘visit’ a cemetery on line. While it’s not the same as strolling through a windy autumnal cemetery, searching for an ancestor’s grave, it does make sense if time or finances are holding you back from making the trip. You can still locate an ancestor’s final resting place on the internet, complete with a photo, on sites such as findagrave.com and interment.com. Or visit the websites of some of the most famous cemeteries in the world and see them vicariously - still an adventure.
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An undisturbed path
through the snow |
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| Summer in the cemetery |
But a true tombstone tourist relishes that walk among the stones, surrounded by nature and the elements. There’s something about following a cemetery road or graveyard path, wherever it may wander, and being surprised, and delighted, by the great discoveries you make just around the bend. Nothing can take that thrill away.
Tombstone Tourist? Yes, that’s me!
~ Joy
Judge
Mason Brown, Edmund Taylor, A.G. Hodges, Henry Wingate, Jacob Swigert, A.P.
Cox, Philip Swigert, Orlando Brown and M.R. Stealey incorporated the cemetery
on February 27th, 1844. Approval
for incorporation was granted by the Kentucky General Assembly. In 1845 thirty-two acres were
purchased from Ambrose and Eliza Dudley for $3,801. The land, at the time was known as Hunter’s Garden. In 1858 and again in 1911, more land
was purchased, to account for the current total of 100 acres in the cemetery.
The Frankfort Cemetery was the second cemetery to be incorporated in the United
States.
In
1848, $15,000 was appropriated to build a monument to those who died in defense
of the country during the Civil War. The State Mound designed by
Russian-American sculptor Robert E. Launitz. Most of the intricate carving was done in Italy and then
shipped to Frankfort up the Mississippi. The military memorial is located on a
twenty feet square granite base in the center of the cemetery. The Statue of Victory tops the monument
and four eagles guard each of the four corners.
The
cemetery also contains the graves of seventeen state governors, those massacred
at River Raisin during the War of 1812, three national poets, and many military
officers and soldiers from the Civil War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War and
numerous other conflicts.
The
Frankfort Cemetery is located at 215 East Main Street. The cemetery is open from 7:30 to
sunset. The phone number is (502)
227-2403.
