Hollywood Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Hollywood Cemetery is a large, sprawling cemetery
located at 412 South Cherry Street in Richmond, Virginia
. Characterized by rolling hills and winding paths overlooking the James River
, it is the resting place of two United States Presidents, James Monroe
and John Tyler
, as well as the only Confederate States President
, Jefferson Davis
. It is also the resting place of 25 Confederate generals, more than any other cemetery in the country. Included are George Pickett
and J.E.B. Stuart.
Hollywood Cemetery was opened in 1849, constructed on land known as "Harvie's Woods" that was once owned by William Byrd II
. It was designed in the rural garden style
, with its name, "Hollywood," coming from the holly trees
dotting the hills of the property.
In 1869, a 90 feet (27.4 m) high granite pyramid was built as a memorial to the more than 18,000 enlisted men of the Confederate Army
buried in the cemetery.
Hollywood Cemetery is one of Richmond's major tourist attractions. There are many local legend
s surrounding certain tomb
s and grave sites in the cemetery, including one about a little girl and the black iron statue of a dog standing watch over her grave. Other notable legends rely on ghosts haunting the many mausoleums. One of the most well-known of these is the legend of the Richmond Vampire
.
A place rich in history, legend, and gothic
landscape, Hollywood Cemetery is also frequented by many of the local students attending Virginia Commonwealth University
.
Use the following alphabetical links to find someone.
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
located at 412 South Cherry Street in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. Characterized by rolling hills and winding paths overlooking the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
, it is the resting place of two United States Presidents, James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
and John Tyler
John Tyler
John Tyler was the tenth President of the United States . A native of Virginia, Tyler served as a state legislator, governor, U.S. representative, and U.S. senator before being elected Vice President . He was the first to succeed to the office of President following the death of a predecessor...
, as well as the only Confederate States President
President of the Confederate States of America
The President of the Confederate States of America was the Head of State and Head of Government of the Confederate States of America, which was formed from the states which declared their secession from the United States, thus precipitating the American Civil War. The only person to hold the...
, Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
. It is also the resting place of 25 Confederate generals, more than any other cemetery in the country. Included are George Pickett
George Pickett
George Edward Pickett was a career United States Army officer who became a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
and J.E.B. Stuart.
Hollywood Cemetery was opened in 1849, constructed on land known as "Harvie's Woods" that was once owned by William Byrd II
William Byrd II
Colonel William Byrd II was a planter, slave-owner and author from Charles City County, Virginia. He is considered the founder of Richmond, Virginia.-Biography:...
. It was designed in the rural garden style
Rural cemetery
The rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of burial ground that uses landscaping in a park-like setting.As early as 1711 the architect Sir Christopher Wren had advocated the creation of burial grounds on the outskirts of town, "inclosed with a strong Brick Wall, and having a walk round, and...
, with its name, "Hollywood," coming from the holly trees
Holly
Ilex) is a genus of 400 to 600 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. The species are evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, and climbers from tropics to temperate zones world wide....
dotting the hills of the property.
In 1869, a 90 feet (27.4 m) high granite pyramid was built as a memorial to the more than 18,000 enlisted men of the Confederate Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
buried in the cemetery.
Hollywood Cemetery is one of Richmond's major tourist attractions. There are many local legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
s surrounding certain tomb
Tomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
s and grave sites in the cemetery, including one about a little girl and the black iron statue of a dog standing watch over her grave. Other notable legends rely on ghosts haunting the many mausoleums. One of the most well-known of these is the legend of the Richmond Vampire
Richmond Vampire
The Richmond Vampire is an urban legend that began soon after a collapse on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad's Church Hill Tunnel at Church Hill, a district of Richmond, Virginia, which buried several workers alive on October 2, 1925....
.
A place rich in history, legend, and gothic
Gothic art
Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that developed in France out of Romanesque art in the mid-12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, but took over art more completely north of the Alps, never quite effacing more classical...
landscape, Hollywood Cemetery is also frequented by many of the local students attending Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
.
List of notable interments and their families
(Note: This is a partial list.)Use the following alphabetical links to find someone.
A
- Alden AaroeAlden AaroeAlden Peterson Aaroe was a popular longtime broadcast journalist and announcer for WRVA, a radio station in Richmond, Virginia.-Career:...
(1918–1993), broadcast journalist - Joseph R. AndersonJoseph R. AndersonJoseph Reid Anderson was an American civil engineer, industrialist, and soldier. During the American Civil War he served as a Confederate general, and his Tredegar Iron Company was a major source of munitions and ordnance for the Confederate States Army.-Early life and career:Joseph Reid Anderson...
(1813–1892), American civil engineer, industrialist, soldier
B
- Frances Hayne Beall (ca. 1820-?), American wife of Lloyd J. Beall, daughter of South Carolina Senator Arthur P. HayneArthur P. HayneArthur Peronneau Hayne was a United States Senator from South Carolina who belonged to the Democratic Party.-Biography:...
- Lloyd J. BeallLloyd J. BeallLloyd James Beall was a United States Army officer and paymaster. During the American Civil War, he served as a colonel and as Commandant of the Confederate States Marine Corps...
(1808–1887), American military officer and paymaster of U.S. Army, Commandant of the Confederate States Marine Corps - William BarretWilliam BarretWilliam Barret was a English divine.-Life:He matriculated as a pensioner of Trinity College, Cambridge, on 1 February 1579–80.He proceeded to his M.A. degree in 1588, and was soon afterwards elected fellow of Caius College....
(1786–1871), American businessman, tobacco manufacturer considered wealthiest man in Richmond - Benjamin Barrett, artist, poet, writer
- William W. Brock Jr. (1912-2003), Brigadier General: World War II, Principal of Richmond's famed Thomas Jefferson High School for 18 years.
- John M. BrockenbroughJohn M. BrockenbroughJohn Mercer Brockenbrough was a farmer and a Confederate colonel in the American Civil War.-Early life:Brockenbrough was born in Richmond County, Virginia, and graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1850....
(1830–1892), Confederate Army colonel and brigade commander at Gettysburg
C
- James Branch CabellJames Branch CabellJames Branch Cabell, ; April 14, 1879 – May 5, 1958) was an American author of fantasy fiction and belles lettres. Cabell was well regarded by his contemporaries, including H. L. Mencken and Sinclair Lewis. His works were considered escapist and fit well in the culture of the 1920s, when his...
(1879–1958), American fantasy fiction novelist - Raleigh Edward Colston (1825–1896), Confederate Civil War general and VMI professor
- Jabez Lamar Monroe CurryJabez Lamar Monroe CurryJabez Lamar Monroe Curry was a lawyer, soldier, U.S. Congressman, college professor and administrator, diplomat, and officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
(1825–1903), U.S. and Confederate Congressman, Civil War veteran, and President of Howard College in Alabama and Richmond College in Virginia. His statue is in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.
D
- Virginius DabneyVirginius DabneyVirginius Dabney was a U.S. teacher, journalist, writer, and editor. He was the editor of the Richmond Times-Dispatch from 1936 to 1969 and author of several historical books...
(1901-1995) Author, Journalist, Editor of The Richmond Times Dispatch from 1936 to 1969, Pulitzer Prize winner. - Peter V. DanielPeter Vivian DanielPeter Vivian Daniel was an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States.-Early life, education, and career:...
(1784–1860), U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice - Jefferson DavisJefferson DavisJefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
(1808–1889), President of the Confederate States of America - Varina Howell DavisVarina HowellVarina Banks Howell Davis was an American author who was best known as the First Lady of the Confederate States of America, second wife of President Jefferson Davis.-Childhood:...
, (1826–1906), American author best-known as First Lady of the CSA, wife of Jefferson Davis - Stephen Potter De Mallie (1923-2008) Noted Researcher and American Textile Author.
F
- Douglas Southall Freeman (1886–1953), was an American journalist and historian. He was the author of definitive biographies of George Washington and Confederate General Robert E. Lee. There is also a local high school that bears his name.
G
- Richard B. GarnettRichard B. GarnettRichard Brooke Garnett was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He was killed during Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg.-Early life:...
(1817–1863), U.S. Army officer and Confederate general killed during Battle of Gettysburg - Lewis GinterLewis GinterMajor Lewis Ginter was a prominent businessman, army officer, and philanthropist in Richmond, VirginiaOf Dutch ancestry, he was born Lewis Guenther in New York City, New York, and moved to Richmond, Virginia, in 1842. Ginter had a number of careers, arguably making and losing a fortune three times...
(1824–1897), Dutch-American tobacco executive, philanthropist - Ellen GlasgowEllen GlasgowEllen Anderson Gholson Glasgow was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist who portrayed the changing world of the contemporary south.-Biography:...
(1873–1945), Pulitzer Prize winning American novelist - James M. Glavé (1933-2005), Architect, Architectural Preservationist, Father of Architectural Adaptive-Reuse Movement.
H
- John HarvieJohn HarvieJohn Harvie was an American lawyer and builder from Virginia. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1777 and 1778, where he signed the Articles of Confederation....
, (1742–1807), American lawyer and builder, delegate to the Continental Congress - Henry HethHenry HethHenry "Harry" Heth was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He is best remembered for inadvertently precipitating the Battle of Gettysburg, when he sent some of his troops of the Army of Northern Virginia to the small Pennsylvania village,...
(1825–1899), U.S. Army officer and Confederate general, participated at the Battle of Gettysburg - Eppa HuntonEppa HuntonEppa Hunton II was a U.S. Representative and Senator from Virginia and a brigadier general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.-Early years:...
(1822–1908), U.S. Representative and Senator, Confederate brigadier general
I
- John D. ImbodenJohn D. ImbodenJohn Daniel Imboden was a lawyer, teacher, Virginia state legislator. During the American Civil War, he was a Confederate cavalry general and partisan fighter...
(1823–1895), lawyer, teacher, Virginia legislator, Confederate cavalry general and partisan fighter
J
- Edward JohnsonEdward Johnson (general)Edward Johnson , also known as Allegheny Johnson , was a United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
(1816–1873), U.S. Army officer and Confederate general - Mary Johnston (1870–1936), American novelist and women's rights advocate
L
- Fitzhugh LeeFitzhugh LeeFitzhugh Lee , nephew of Robert E. Lee, was a Confederate cavalry general in the American Civil War, the 40th Governor of Virginia, diplomat, and United States Army general in the Spanish-American War.-Early life:...
(1835–1905), Confederate cavalry general, Governor of Virginia, diplomat, U.S. Army general in Spanish-American War
M
- John Marshall (1823–1862), editor of the Jackson Mississippian and Austin Star-Gazette. Appointed a Colonel in the Texas Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War, he was killed in action at the Battle of Gaines Mill. (He is often confused with John MarshallJohn MarshallJohn Marshall was the Chief Justice of the United States whose court opinions helped lay the basis for American constitutional law and made the Supreme Court of the United States a coequal branch of government along with the legislative and executive branches...
(1755–1835), fourth Chief Justice of the United States, who is buried in nearby Shockoe Hill CemeteryShockoe Hill CemeteryThe Shockoe Hill Cemetery is a historic cemetery located on Shockoe Hill in Richmond, Virginia.-History:Established in 1820, with the initial burial in 1822, Shockoe Hill Cemetery was the first city-owned municipal burial ground in Richmond. The cemetery expanded in 1833, 1850, and 1870, but now is...
.) - Matthew Fontaine MauryMatthew Fontaine MauryMatthew Fontaine Maury , United States Navy was an American astronomer, historian, oceanographer, meteorologist, cartographer, author, geologist, and educator....
(1806–1873), American oceanographer, scientist, and educator, who also served the Confederacy during the Civil War. - William MayoWilliam Mayo (civil engineer)Major William Mayo was an English civil engineer who emigrated to the British colony of Virginia in 1723.-Biography:Mayo, born in England, emigrated to the British colony of Virginia in 1723...
(ca. 1685-1744), Colonial civil engineer - Hunter McGuireHunter McGuireHunter Holmes McGuire, M.D. was a physician, teacher, and orator. He started several schools and hospitals which later became part of the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia. His statue sits prominently on the grounds of the Virginia State Capitol...
(1835–1900), Confederate Army surgeon who amputated General Thomas J. "Stonewall" JacksonStonewall Jacksonຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
's arm after Jackson was mistakenly shot by Confederate soldiers at ChancellorsvilleBattle of ChancellorsvilleThe Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
. (Despite McGuire's efforts, Jackson later died of pneumonia.) After the war, McGuire founded the Virginia College of Medicine, and was president of the American Medical AssociationAmerican Medical AssociationThe American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
. - Polk MillerPolk MillerPolk Miller was a pharmacist and musician from Richmond and Bon Air, Virginia.-Early life, Civil War, druggist:Polk Miller was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia in August, 1844. While growing up, he learned to play the banjo from slaves on his father's plantation. He became a druggist in...
(1844–1913), American pharmacist and musician - James MonroeJames MonroeJames Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
(1758–1831), fifth President of the United States - Elizabeth Kortright Monroe (1768–1830), U.S. First Lady, wife of James Monroe
P
- Emma Gilham PageEmma Gilham PageEmma Hayden Page was the youngest daughter of Major William Gilham, Commandant of Cadets at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, where she was born 5½ years before the beginning of the American Civil War.In 1882, Emma married William Nelson Page a United States civil engineer,...
(1855–1933), American wife of William Nelson Page - William Nelson PageWilliam N. PageWilliam Nelson Page was an American civil engineer, entrepreneur, industrialist and capitalist. He was active in the Virginias following the U.S. Civil War...
(1854–1932), American civil engineer, railway industrialist, co-founder of the Virginian RailwayVirginian RailwayThe Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The VGN was created to transport high quality "smokeless" bituminous coal from southern West Virginia to port at Hampton Roads.... - John PegramJohn Pegram (general)John Pegram was a career soldier from Virginia who served as an officer in the United States Army and then as a brigadier general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He became the first former U.S...
(1832–1865), U.S. Army officer, Confederate Army brigadier general - William Ransom Johnson PegramWilliam Ransom Johnson PegramWilliam Ransom Johnson Pegram, known as "Willie" or "Willy", was an important young artillery officer in Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War. He was mortally wounded in the Battle of Five Forks. He was the younger brother of Confederate General John...
(1841–1865), U.S. Army officer, Confederate Army colonel - George PickettGeorge PickettGeorge Edward Pickett was a career United States Army officer who became a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
(1825–1875), U.S. Army officer, Confederate Army general, participated in Battle of Gettysburg - John Garland PollardJohn Garland PollardJohn Garland Pollard was an American politician who served as the 51st Governor of Virginia from 1930 to 1934.-Early life:...
(1871–1937), American politician, Governor of Virginia from 1930 to 1934 - William Wortham PooleWilliam Wortham PooleWilliam Wortham Pool was an American bookkeeper. His name and burial site became synonymous with legend and folklore surrounding the supernatural due to a railroad tunnel cave-in that occurred in the Richmond, Virginia, district of Church Hill on October 2, 1925.He was born in Mississippi, the son...
(1842–1922), American bookkeeper. His burial tomb became associated with the Richmond VampireRichmond VampireThe Richmond Vampire is an urban legend that began soon after a collapse on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad's Church Hill Tunnel at Church Hill, a district of Richmond, Virginia, which buried several workers alive on October 2, 1925.... - Lewis F. Powell, Jr. (1907–1998), U.S. Supreme Court justice
- Parke D. Pendleton (1932–2010), Entertainer, Renowned expert on Richmond society, Accountant
R
- John RandolphJohn Randolph of RoanokeJohn Randolph , known as John Randolph of Roanoke, was a planter and a Congressman from Virginia, serving in the House of Representatives , the Senate , and also as Minister to Russia...
(1773–1833), American politician, leader in Congress from Virginia - William Francis RheaWilliam Francis RheaWilliam Francis Rhea was a U.S. Representative from Virginia, a Virginia state court judge, and a member of the Virginia State Corporation Commission....
(1858–1931), Virginia lawyer, judge, and U.S. Congressman - Dr. William RickmanWilliam RickmanDr. William Rickman was a prominent figure in the American Revolution, known best as the first Director of Hospitals of the Continental Army during the war...
(1731-1783), Director of hospitals for the Continental Army of Virginia. Devoted husband to the daughter of President Benjamin Harrison, Miss Elizabeth Harrison
S
- William Alexander SmithWilliam Alexander SmithWilliam Alexander Smith was a U.S. Representative from the state of North Carolina.Smith was born in Warren County, North Carolina and attended the common schools. He engaged in agricultural pursuits and was a member of the State constitutional convention in 1865 following the American Civil War...
(1828–1888), American politician, U.S. Representative from North Carolina - William "Extra Billy" Smith (1797-1887), two-time governor of Virginia, Confederate general
- William E. StarkeWilliam E. StarkeWilliam Edwin Starke was a wealthy Gulf Coast businessman and a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
(1814–1862), Confederate general killed at the Battle of Antietam - J.E.B. Stuart (1833–1864), American soldier, Confederate Army general
T
- David Gardiner TylerDavid Gardiner TylerDavid Gardiner Tyler , was a U.S. Democratic Party politician.-Early life:He was born in East Hampton, New York and was the first child born to former President John Tyler and his second wife, Julia Gardiner Tyler. He was named after his late maternal grandfather, David Gardiner. As a child, he...
(1846–1927), American Democratic politician, U.S. congressman - John TylerJohn TylerJohn Tyler was the tenth President of the United States . A native of Virginia, Tyler served as a state legislator, governor, U.S. representative, and U.S. senator before being elected Vice President . He was the first to succeed to the office of President following the death of a predecessor...
(1790–1862), tenth President of the United States, a delegate to the Provisional Confederate Congress in 1861, and elected to the House of Representatives of the Confederate Congress. - Julia Gardiner TylerJulia Gardiner TylerJulia Gardiner Tyler , second wife of John Tyler, was First Lady of the United States from June 26, 1844, to March 4, 1845.-Early life:...
(1820–1889), U.S. First Lady, wife of John Tyler
W
- Reuben Lindsay WalkerReuben Lindsay WalkerReuben Lindsay Walker was a Confederate general who served in the artillery during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
(1827–1890), Confederate Army general - Henry A. WiseHenry A. WiseHenry Alexander Wise was an American politician and governor of Virginia, as well as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
(1806–1876), Governor of Virginia, Confederate Army general
External links
- Hollywood Cemetery Official Website
- Historic Richmond Hollywood Site
- Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary