The name Hollywood Cemetery jumps out at you when you first hear the words “Hollywood.” In this cemetery their is no such stars, but their are a couple of presidents and a lot of historical people that paved the way with the establishment of Richmond, Virginia. As you walk through this beautiful captivating cemetery, you will get a glimpse of graves that were marked confederate for the soldiers who fought in the wars.
Here is the back ground of why the cemetery had this unique name. In the late 1840’s, William Haxall and Joshua Fry hired an architect that previous designed Laurel Hill cemetery in Philadelphia, to come down and design the cemetery into a rural garden style. The name Hollywood comes from the Holly trees that were there.
In 1869, a high granite pyramid was built as a memorial for the confederate soldiers; more than 18,000 confederate soldiers are buried in this cemetery alone.
As you walk this cemetery you will be intrigued by the creative themes that were engraved in each person’s stone. You had carpenters that designed in great detail of what occupation or services that these individuals were involved in. There are some great views where you could see the James River flowing through.
James Monroe has a memorial there as well. They call it the “Presidents’ Circle.” This grave is surrounded by his family as well as still bars. In the spring time you can see the blossoming of flowers, which makes the grave a sight to see. This cemetery is well intact and has a lot of history that intertwines with why Richmond, Virginia was built.
If you are into history or just want some new entertainment this is a good place to go. It is very peaceful, you will get an earful of education and history, and the views are amazing. If you are into urban legends, there is a legend about the the Richmond vampire that is connected within the Hollywood Cemetery.