~~~ What Can I Say ~~~

Elmwood Cemetery

We love to visit cemeteries where ever we travel... Sometimes they are full of old headstones and ornate ones... Some extravagant and some simple... Sometimes they are full of historic information and sometimes just really old headstones you can barely read. We have visited many cemeteries across this country of ours and the Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis has been added to our list. Elmwood Cemetery is one of the most beautiful historic cemeteries in the South. Established in 1852 as a rural garden cemetery, it has 80 acres of rolling grounds, flowering dogwoods, crepe myrtles, Magnolia trees, ancient towering trees, and impressive memorials among winding paths and lanes. Elmwood Cemetery, the Office Cottage, and the Entry Bridge are all on the National Register of Historic Places.

When you arrive there you can purchase (for a small fee) a CD which takes you through the cemetery and narrates the headstones and significant ares. There is an area where 1400 people who died from the yellow plague are buried, then an area where Confederate and a few Union soldiers are buried, A Chinese section, and even a section of people who donated their bodies to research and science.

The one impressive monuments that we always see in old cemeteries are tree trunks with Ivy climbing up them. They were scattered all through this cemetery. Now I have seen these before but I didn't know that it symbolized something. The Ivy signifies - Immortality, Friendship, Faithfulness and because it is an evergreen that clings while climbing, it signifies the need for protection. Since it grows quickly, it also symbolizes regeneration, sensuality and revelry. ... Tree trunk signifies - Brevity of life ... A life cut short.

We took over 200 pictures. It was hard to choose which ones to share with you... Please enjoy the pictures of Elmwood Cemetery

After we left the cemetery we headed over into old Memphis to see an area they called Victorian Village ... Originally in it's hey day it was called Millionaires Row...I was pretty excited about seeing these huge homes but when we got there I was a little disappointed that the homes were in such bad shape. They are magnificent homes but in need of a lot of work... I later found out that the city has cut the budget for the homes... Here are a few pictures

The Harsson-Goyer-Lee House (ca. 1841) was once the home of riverboat owner James Lee. This striking eclectic-style Victorian had been unused for years,

Woodruff-Fontaine House is a beautiful French Victorian mansion which was built in 1870 along "Millionaires Row" & was the home to two prominent Memphis families.

The Massey House (ca. 1847), was built for

Benjamin A. Massey, an early Memphis lawyer.

The Mallory - Neely house was built in 1852, the 25-room home contains stenciled and hand painted ceilings, parquet flooring, and stained-glass windows purchased at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The Mallory-Neely House is the only historic property in Memphis to retain most of its original furnishings. Once opened to tour it is now closed to budget cuts.

I hope you enjoyed some more of the sites you can see when visiting Memphis

We have move on to Hot Springs, Ar and will have more pictures soon!

Until Later