Hollywood Cemetery is a beautiful, sprawling old cemetery overlooking the James River just west of downtown Richmond. Established in 1849, Hollywood Cemetery is the final resting place of two U.S. Presidents, James Monroe and John Tyler, and Jefferson Davis, the only President of the Confederacy. Also buried at Hollywood are 28 Confederate Generals including JEB Stuart and George Pickett as well as a considerable number of Confederate soldiers, both known and unknown. The Monument of Confederate War Dead is found there as well in the form of a 90 foot pyramid dedicated in 1869.
We enjoyed our visit to Hollywood Cemetery and spent several hours there. It has quite a history and some beautiful examples of funerary art. The President’s Circle includes the two presidents mentioned above and local celebrity burials as well. The south side of the cemetery offers beautiful views of the James River and Downtown Richmond. We used the Girl Scout Self-Guided Tour Pamphlet (found HERE) to help us find our way around. It can be tricky, but it’s not big enough to get really lost. I hope you enjoy these photos from Hollywood Cemetery.
I took these photos last week in the midst of the Confederate statue removal process in the old Confederate Capital of Richmond. It was a unique time to visit because some of the statues had already been removed, one of JEB Stuart was in the process of being removed and the two central ones to Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis still stood, although both have been slated for removal.
In taking these photos I wanted to capture the spirit of the protests which ultimately have led to the conversation over the removal of these statues, so I have included some close-up shots of the graffiti. Some of the graffiti is targeted towards police brutality while some supports the Black Lives Matter movement.
I am of the opinion that these statues cannot continue to stand in these central places in our nation’s cities. While there are aspects of all of these men which I admire and respect, the cause for which they fought was ultimately the continuation of slavery in perpetuity. There are places for these statues as I believe all art tells a story, but the story currently being told isn’t a complete one and needs to be adjusted with our current understanding of history. These statues coming down isn’t erasing history, it is history.
