Epitaph

“It’s worth a visit.”  The cemetery? Really? --I had just asked the lady behind the counter at a gift shop in Richmond, VA, about local sites of interest. She asked if I had been to Hollywood Cemetery. Stating that I had not, she said it was worth the visit. -- After all, it is the second most visited cemetery in the nation and it is a national treasure. -- So jumping back in the car, I headed off to see this outdoor museum.

Upon passing through the gates, I quickly realized this wasn’t the “typical” graveyard... It was immense, with winding trails set among the hills and knolls of the James River banks. I stopped for a map of this 1847 graveyard at the caretaker's office. The receptionist directed me to follow the blue lines painted on the pavement. With the map in tow, I was sure to see all of the indicated highlights. Walking back to the car I noticed the sky appeared rather ominous, as it was clouding up for a summer storm.  It felt a bit strange, standing in such a place with a pending storm, but I was determined to find out why this was such a major tourist attraction.

First up on this trail of discovery was the “visitor’s favorite”: an iron dog watching over the grave of Florence Rees. Her epitaph declaims a short life of less than 3 years. It certainly gives one reason to pause. Although the little site is often decorated with coins, jewelry, and toys, it is her canine protector that visitors love to photograph.