Today a group of my friends and I spent the afternoon on a walking tour of Spring Grove Cemetery (www.springgrove.org) on the northwest side of Cincinnati in what is refereed to Mill Valley.
Along our walk we enjoyed the many colorful fall foliage. The trees color were so rich and just plain gorgeous! It was perfect walking weather and my group thoroughly had a great day.
In our group were people from the young (3) to the elderly (80's). We took pictures and helped push a lady in a wheel chair as everyone listened with intent to the guides information that she shared about the cemetery, tombstones, memorials and the trees.
One of my favorite mausoleums was a small building that had an Art Deco metal door of a woman (pictured below left). When you walked up to door and peeked through the cut outs, you saw a exquisite Tiffany window (pictured below right).
There are 733 a
cres, but only 400 are being used and maintained. The cemetery dates back to 184
4when Cincinnati's Horticultural Society formed the cemetery association. In 1855 Adolph Strauch was hired to renovate the grounds. His format is a "garden cemetery" which is made of lakes, trees and shrubs. They still follow this format today. Mr. Strauch did not want the cemetary to become a National Cemetery with all its markers right next to each other and rows as far as the eye can see. Because the association has kept to the original plan, in 1987 they officially became known as the Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum. This betters represents its remarkable collection of both native and exotic trees, as well as, State and National trees.
There are 12 ponds on the grounds. All m
an made from natural springs. There are many tombstones and memorials with their own stories. Some of the mausoleums were done in Gothic Revival Architecture. There are 40 Civil War Generals, Govenors from Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky and many notables from Cincinnati's history, such as, Salmon P. Chase (Chief Justice of the United States), Levi Coffin (Abolitionist), President Wm. Howard Taft's parents, William Proctor and James Gamble(P&G), Bernard Kroger (Kroger Grocery stores), from the present, Skip Prosser (former Xavier & Wake Forest Basketball Coach) and many others.
Several in our group were taking pictures. While talking with one lady we both discovered that we painted and have taken a class from the same teacher. It was nice to talk shop with her.
If you check out their website go to events to learn when they are having tours. I can not wait until spring to see the spring flowers and trees in bloom.
Gaylynn
(as a side note: I see that my blog/GCWS buddies also have posted about places they visited this week. Deb Ward
debwardart and Rhonda Carpenter
Watercolors and Words )
Today a group of my friends and I spent the afternoon on a walking tour of Spring Grove Cemetery (www.springgrove.org) on the northwest side of Cincinnati in what is refereed to Mill Valley.
Along our walk we enjoyed the many colorful fall foliage. The trees color were so rich and just plain gorgeous! It was perfect walking weather and my group thoroughly had a great day.
In our group were people from the young (3) to the elderly (80's). We took pictures and helped push a lady in a wheel chair as everyone listened with intent to the guides information that she shared about the cemetery, tombstones, memorials and the trees.
One of my favorite mausoleums was a small building that had an Art Deco metal door of a woman (pictured below left). When you walked up to door and peeked through the cut outs, you saw a exquisite Tiffany window (pictured below right).
There are 733 a
cres, but only 400 are being used and maintained. The cemetery dates back to 184
4when Cincinnati's Horticultural Society formed the cemetery association. In 1855 Adolph Strauch was hired to renovate the grounds. His format is a "garden cemetery" which is made of lakes, trees and shrubs. They still follow this format today. Mr. Strauch did not want the cemetary to become a National Cemetery with all its markers right next to each other and rows as far as the eye can see. Because the association has kept to the original plan, in 1987 they officially became known as the Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum. This betters represents its remarkable collection of both native and exotic trees, as well as, State and National trees.
There are 12 ponds on the grounds. All m
an made from natural springs. There are many tombstones and memorials with their own stories. Some of the mausoleums were done in Gothic Revival Architecture. There are 40 Civil War Generals, Govenors from Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky and many notables from Cincinnati's history, such as, Salmon P. Chase (Chief Justice of the United States), Levi Coffin (Abolitionist), President Wm. Howard Taft's parents, William Proctor and James Gamble(P&G), Bernard Kroger (Kroger Grocery stores), from the present, Skip Prosser (former Xavier & Wake Forest Basketball Coach) and many others.
Several in our group were taking pictures. While talking with one lady we both discovered that we painted and have taken a class from the same teacher. It was nice to talk shop with her.
If you check out their website go to events to learn when they are having tours. I can not wait until spring to see the spring flowers and trees in bloom.
Gaylynn
(as a side note: I see that my blog/GCWS buddies also have posted about places they visited this week. Deb Ward debwardart and Rhonda Carpenter Watercolors and Words )
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