Background
Hollywood Cemetery is a privately owned one and was founded in 1847. It was designed in a different away from the common style of cemeteries then. The Hollywood cemetery started operating officially in 1849. The cemetery was created to match rural cemeteries which were popular during that period. The place was designed to serve several purposes including burial and recreation.
The cemetery gained a lot of prestige when the former President, James Monroe, was buried in the cemetery. Nowadays, Hollywood cemetery is an active cemetery which is visited regularly by tourists; it is considered a home to carefree outings and the local people who pay visits to the ancestral heritage and the grave sites.
The skillful planning, blessings of nature and proper maintenance make the cemetery very beautiful. The place is at the heart of the Virginia people due to the burial of 18, 000 soldiers from all the southern states who were victims of the civil war, hence, solidifying its importance among the Virginians.
Consequently, the Confederates who had been exhumed from their resting place in Gettysburg were buried in the Hollywood Cemetery, and this is how it acquired the name Gettysburg hill later. The place is an active cemetery and a tourist attraction center (Hollywood Cemetery 1).
Prominent Personalities buried in Hollywood Cemetery
The most prominent person to be buried in Hollywood is James Munroe. He is considered to be an esteemed individual since he was the only person in American history who held several offices. He also served as a governor of Virginia before becoming the president of the USA. What made Monroe popular was the Monroe doctrine which shaped the history of the western hemisphere.
His strong opposition to slavery made him be viewed as one of the powerful leaders in the USA. His great legacy left a permanent mark in the history of the USA. He made a place of heritage for most of the Americans out of the Hollywood Cemetery (Hollywood Cemetery 1). The heritage of the Hollywood Cemetery and its importance in American history are flourishing because, besides Monroe, several other prominent people were buried there.
These people are the tenth President of the USA, John Tyler, who was considered a hero in Hollywood due to his stand on various issues, such as his opposition to secession, advocating for the limitedness of federal power and the fact that he brought Florida and Texas into the Union. He died during the public service as a member of the Confederate Congress.
Hollywood Cemetery is home to various individuals, dynasties, prominent artists and American autocrats (Hollywood Cemetery 1). The significance of Hollywood cemetery lies in its old age and its design. The skillful design of the cemetery gives it an appeal. It has several old fashioned headstones with towering mountains which are shaped like rocket ships.
The pretty and calm environment of the cemetery has been used as a background location in Hollywood films for a very long time, and it has enhanced the value of the place since people across the world have been watching Hollywood films. Examples of the movies that feature Hollywood cemetery on its background are the Hot Shots and the L.A. Story.
Several TV shows also were shot against the background of the Hollywood Cemetery, for example, the TV series Charmed. The Hollywood cemetery rekindles the memories of the gone years in Virginia and features the graves of the people whose lives shaped and influenced the lives of other people in one way or another.
What captivates people to fancy Hollywood cemetery is the fact that it overlooks the James River where Christopher Newport planted a wooden cross when he established the James town. The place functions as the final resting home of two American presidents, six Virginia governors, two Supreme Court justices, twenty-two Confederate generals and a great many Confederate soldiers.
Its status to the nation is recognized and acknowledged by the National Register of Historic Places. The architectural beauty of the monuments, statues, buildings, mausoleums, fences, and tombs combine to enhance the setting of the place whereas the skillful design, the faithful stewardship and the blessings of nature are the features that make Hollywood cemetery one of the most interesting and beautiful historic cemeteries in the United States of America.
The most recognizable features of the cemetery serve to uplift the spirits of various visitors to the cemetery (Hollywood Cemetery 1). The Hollywood cemetery also has two big and well-designed mausoleums which are both filled with Hollywood movie stars though aged in practice.
The abbey of Psalms is specifically designed for movie stars including the veteran actor Clifton Webb who was originally referred to as Belvedere in the 1948 movie Sitting Pretty. Prominent businessman Steve Goldstein was considered one of the best Hollywood grave hunters as he spent most of his off work hours in the cemetery. He authored a book titled L.A Graveside Companion: Where the V.I.Ps R.I.P., and he has also created a website (King 1).
James Benjamin Sclater JR
James Benjamin Sclater JR was also buried in the Hollywood cemetery. James Benjamin Sclater served in the army of Richmond. He attended the University of Virginia, but never graduated despite devoting much of his time to medical studies. He is one of the founders of the Pi Kappa Alpha together with his college mate Robertson Howard and friends Julian Wood, Littleton Walter, Roberson Howard, and William Alexander.
After a long period of declining health, he died in the year 1882 and was the first of the founders of Pi Kappa Alpha to die. His body was buried in the Hollywood Cemetery on a hill that faces the James River. His grave is conspicuous in the cemetery because of the ornamental urn marked in it by his longtime girlfriend. His grave is significant to the people of Richmond.
As a founder of the Pi Kappa Alpha, he was considered as an influential person, especially due to his strong Americanism. Pi Kappa Alpha was a powerful international fraternity that was made up of men who shared similar ideals particularly the ideals of friendship, loyalty, and truth.
Sclater influenced the majority of the Richmond population due to his strong moral legacy and the idealism of Pi Kappa Alpha which inspired the population. The Hollywood cemetery is one of the greatest attraction sites in the USA.
Conclusion
The Hollywood cemetery is associated with great memories because of the people who were buried to rest there. The cemetery contains the remains of some of the most popular people that America has ever known. There is the need to preserve this place as it reminds us of our past heritage and helps us to understand how far we have come from. The cemetery is a great attraction in the USA, and many people have a special attachment to the cemetery.
Works Cited
Hollywood Cemetery. HollywoodCemetery.org. Hollywood Cemetery History, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2011.
King, Susan. “Classic Hollywood: Cemeteries of the stars.” Articles.Latimes.com. Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2010. Web. 25 Oct. 2011.