Luyties Monument, Bellefonatine Cemetery

This is most likely the grave of Dr. Herman Luyties, the pioneer of homeopathic treatments for aches and pains. His company still survives. On the day we visited, the protective covering over the statue had fogged over, leaving the woman's sculpture inside shrouded in a surreal mist. The Grave Hunter has some additional information on the statue here.

Photos by Jeff Phillips

Krater, Bellefontaine Cemetery

I had never noticed this huge granite krater-style tombstone before last week.

Louis Sullivan Mausolea in St. Louis and Chicago

I've looked at Louis Sullivan's masterpiece, the Wainwright Tomb in Bellefontaine Cemetery in the past, but a couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit the other two mausolea designed by the great architect in Chicago's Graceland Cemetery.

The first one, the Ryerson Mausoleum is relatively conservative, though even in the Egyptian Revival structure there are traces of Sullivan's innovation, first with the use of black granite and also with the overall proportions, making the tomb stand out from its surroundings.

The Getty Mausoleum is more stereotypically Sullivanesque, with its ornate and anti-classical metalwork and stonework.

Read more about the two mausolea here, at the Graceland Cemetery website.

The contrast between Sullivan's tombs, and their Neo-Classical, Beaux-Arts neighbors demonstrates just how innovative he was when most architecture still looked to the past for inspiration.

Busch Mausoleum, Revisited

Historic Photos of Oak Grove Cemetery and Mausoleum

I returned to Oak Grove Cemetery recently and met with the staff, learning many interesting facts about the mausoleum and grounds.

They were also kind enough to give me an original promotional brochure from shortly after the mausoleum's opening.

Above is the upper floor of the central rotunda, and below is the lower floor of the majestic space.

I get the impression that the marketing was geared toward making the act of burial and visiting of graves a cleaner and more scientific method compared to the old, muddy graveyards of the past.

I love the stained glass window in this chapel below; it is clearly based off of the Sistine Madonna by Raphael in Dresden, Germany.

Here are some of the other chapels and hallways in the mausoleum, showing the nice white Carrara marble that adorns the walls.

I'm creeped out by mausolea; I'm used to the old fashioned cemetery burials where all of my relatives are buried. It's interesting to see how different people react to different burial methods.

The owners are in the process of raising donations to repair the building back to its original state; on the day I was there construction workers were already at work repairing portions of the central dome. Please consider donating to their cause; I can vouch that the money is actually going to repairs, as the scaffolding was not there the first time I visited. Let's not let it turn into the type of cemetery the brochure railed against decades ago.

Valhalla Cemetery

Valhalla Cemetery and its mausoleum are further down St. Charles Rock Road, and feature beautiful architecture as well.This giant portico in the Doric style presents a sense of sturdiness and agelessness towards visitors.I love the figure of the sleeping woman above the front door.Valhalla, of course, was the ancient land in Norse mythology where fallen warriors went after being allowed to die in battle by Valkyries.

Lake Charles Cemetery

Across the road from Oak Grove Cemetery is Lake Charles Cemetery, which could almost be seen as a foil to its long suffering neighbor to the south.Punctuated with a stunning entrance from the 1920's, the entire grounds are well maintained.They even have their own website that talks about the history of the cemetery.It's a little hard to get an idea of scale, but the gatehouse is three stories tall, and the cemetery's offices are carefully tucked into the central pier as well as above the two gateways.
In many ways, the gate reminds me vaguely of the old Vandeventer Place Gates which you can see in Forest Park.
The setting is idyllic, with swans swimming in the lake and rolling hills stretching out from the entrance.The flowers are beautiful as well; does anyone know what these flowers at the entrance are called?

Oak Grove Cemetery Entrance

The entrance to the cemetery is guarded by a tall Doric column and a Spanish Revival guardhouse.

Oak Grove Cemetery Mausoleum

One of the more unique buildings I have ever photographed is the Oak Grove Mausoleum on St. Charles Rock Road.It's been in the news recently, mostly for the wrong reasons. Watch the Channel 4 piece on the cemetery's woes here.Described as Byzantine Revival in the Landmarks Association's 2011 Most Endangered List, I would call it more of a Renaissance/Neoclassical Eclectic Revival, a term I just created.The lion above is a great example of the sculpture at the mausoleum; it is not strictly Neoclassical, but perhaps showing a little influence of Disney.The front portal is clearly influenced by Michelangelo's New Sacristy, which you can see here.The entrance was locked, in response to vandalism and theft from the mausoleum. The interior can be viewed here.The windows are beautiful, but are best viewed from the interior where the sunlight would stream through them.The porte cochere is under the front steps, and would have provided a dry entrance during the rain.
The back is ornamented as well, but is largely hidden from view by tall weeds and a stone wall.The care of a mausoleum and cemetery is one of the most sensitive jobs in the country, and I can only imagine the expense of maintaining this mausoleum and cemetery.

Weird Column, Cemetery Row, St. Charles Rock Road

Interesting Details, Glendale Cemetery