Category: States

Hollywood Cemetery

Richmond, Virginia

I had never been here, but had always wanted to, so here is Hollywood Cemetery, one of three locations that contain the graves of 2 Presidents of the United States. Fun trivia: the other two are United First Parish Church, Quincy, Massachusetts (John and John Quincy Adams); Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia (William Howard Taft and John F. Kennedy). Amaze your friends with this fact!

A dog statue, which is listed as a “Visitors’ Favorite”
Pyramid dedicated to Confederate Women
Grave of Confederate General George Pickett
There are over 18,000 graves of Confederate soldiers in this cemetery.
Quite sobering.
Grave of Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart
Grave of US Supreme Court Justice Lewis Franklin Powell
Grave of US Supreme Court Justice Peter Vivian Daniel
Grave of Matthew Fontaine Maury, known as “Pathfinder of the Sea”.
Maury (from Fredericksburg) was a highly regarded 19th century cartography.
Grave of James Monroe, 5th President of the United States, surrounded by a grove of beautiful, full-bloom cherry trees.
Grave of James Monroe, 5th President of the United States
This sarcophagus contains the remains of President James Monroe.
Monument and grave of John Tyler, 10th President of the United States.
President Tyler was the first president to ascend to the office of upon the death of a president (9th President William Henry Harrison). Since he was not elected President, there was uncertainty about how he should proceed in office. His decisive actions upon taking office set a precedent that such a presidency is as legitimate as the presidency of an elected president.
Close-up of the front of President Tyler’s monument
View from the west of President Tyler’s monument
Statue and grave of Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. Last year we visited his postwar prison cell at Fort Monroe in Hampton.
Monument of my relative Fitzhugh Lee, who had a varied and distinguished life. During his life, he was a Confederate General, Governor of Virginia, Brigadier General in the United States Army (Spanish-American War), and Consul General to Cuba.
The Lee Family Coat-of-Arms
On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, from Hollywood Cemetery,
downtown Richmond’s skyline

Historic St. John’s Church

Richmond, Virginia

Historic St. John’s church, originally built in 1741, is the site where Patrick Henry gave his famous “Liberty or Death” speech in March 23, 1775, which helped convince those in attendance to begin preparing Virginia’s troops for war against Great Britain. The most famous lines from the speech are:

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

This speech cemented Patrick Henry’s reputation as the premiere speaker in all the American colonies. He later became the first governor of Virginia after American independence. A fascinating figure worth further study.

Historic St. John’s Church today.
This is the only part of the church that existed in 1775, and is where Patrick Henry gave his speech during the Second Virginia Convention.
Patrick Henry gave the speech here, in the front of this sanctuary.
Patrick Henry’s pew.
Our tour guide Andrew was fantastic, offering excellent historical details.
Grave of George Wythe – the first law professor in America; teacher of Thomas Jefferson, John Randolph and John Marshall; “first” Virginia signer of the Declaration of Independence (I leave it to you to learn why I put “first” in quotation marks!)
The entire church yard is filled with graves. There are even graves underneath the church floor – some stacked three deep! Many of these graves date to the 1700s.
Interesting story about the reason for these graves that look like tables. They were laid in this manner to prevent the livestock from grazing the grave.
Grave of Eliza Poe, mother of Edgar Allen Poe