In the 19th Century, American families strolled through public cemeteries in an effort to impart morals and religious ideals to their children. In the 20th century this practice became taboo, as the arena of death became professionalized (through the rise of Funeral Homes and morticians who took over tasks that had previously been performed by family members). But cemeteries still have a lot to teach us. Gravestone inscriptions reveal family values, kinship relations, religious beliefs, expected gender roles, and attitudes towards death. Mortuary motifs transform cultural ideologies into art and illustrate beliefs about life and death. And, taken as a whole, cemeteries preserve the memory of past communities.
There are two public cemeteries in Charlottesville: Oakwood and Maplewood and many of the privately owned, large memorial parks allow pedestrian traffic. In all cases, respect is due to these sacred sites. For a weekly update on Albemarle County gravestone motifs, click on the “gravestone archive” in the menu of this page.