First published November 27, 2017 on Facebook
Monday morning...time for reflection.
Cradle graves.
Not for babies - monuments shaped like cradles. (Yes, I don't think they look like cradles, but
work with me here). Headboard, footboard, side slats. Babies can be buried here, as in the
small versions below, but really it's all about the shape. The rectangular section of the stone
is actually a little garden space.
Cradle graves were popular from the early 1800's through the 1920's, when they began to
lose popularity. There are at least 1,000 at Philadelphia's Laurel Hill Cemetery, in all shapes
and sizes. Here is the thing about them, and why I think they speak to me. Cradles graves were created
so that families (or in some cases, their gardeners, dahling) grew flowers and sometimes
grass, made to look like a blanket on the bed, sometimes stones in decorative patterns. A
little garden. That took some work and maintenance. Cradle graves were meant to be interactive. Somebody had to come out to the cemetery on a regular basis to weed and replace plants,
to put in bulbs, to care for the grass. Somebody had to actually physically interact with the monument, and thereby the burial of
the person under that stone.
Looks like a beautiful blanket...
It reminds me of the family ritual of coming on holidays to clean the family stone and weed
around it, and put down flowers. Most of the cradle grave garden spaces in Laurel Hill are empty. Perhaps the families have died
out. Or they don't realize what the shape of the stone is there for. In one Philadelphia cemetery, Woodlawn in West Philly (near the University of PA), they are
bringing the tradition back by having folks adopt a cradle grave. The volunteers are trained in
the types of plants and flowers that would have been used during the period of the fashion of
the cradles. They agree to take responsibility for the stones. And they learn about the people
buried there, so the interaction is preserved. How cool is that? https://hiddencityphila.org/…/gardeners-bring-cradle-grave…/ Unfortunately my favorite cemetery, Laurel Hill, has so many cradle graves that a similar
program is not possible. I couldn't have don't it anyway - I have a seriously black thumb, and
I don't think dead sticks are what the organizers at Woodlawn have in mind... So. Cradle graves. But more importantly, interaction with our dead. Let's think about how to
bring that back... Here are some photos of mine. The first is a pair of cradle graves. For some reason, I don't
really remember seeing only one - they are in pairs or at least more than one. That's probably
wrong, but that's how it is in my head.
One even has some grass growing in it!
The same two little cradle graves, at night. These probably ARE for babies. Sad.
Those were all from Laurel Hill Cemetery. But this last one - New Orleans, LA. Not exactly
like the ones in Laurel Hill or Woodlawn, but you can see that someone is taking care of the grass.
Cradle graves were apparently particularly popular in the South.
And here are a few from Ireland, where I am told they still use this monument style today
These (also from Ireland) are truly just damned creepy! LOL!
work with me here). Headboard, footboard, side slats. Babies can be buried here, as in the
small versions below, but really it's all about the shape. The rectangular section of the stone
is actually a little garden space.
lose popularity. There are at least 1,000 at Philadelphia's Laurel Hill Cemetery, in all shapes
and sizes. Here is the thing about them, and why I think they speak to me. Cradles graves were created
so that families (or in some cases, their gardeners, dahling) grew flowers and sometimes
grass, made to look like a blanket on the bed, sometimes stones in decorative patterns. A
little garden. That took some work and maintenance. Cradle graves were meant to be interactive. Somebody had to come out to the cemetery on a regular basis to weed and replace plants,
to put in bulbs, to care for the grass. Somebody had to actually physically interact with the monument, and thereby the burial of
the person under that stone.
Looks like a beautiful blanket...
It reminds me of the family ritual of coming on holidays to clean the family stone and weed
around it, and put down flowers. Most of the cradle grave garden spaces in Laurel Hill are empty. Perhaps the families have died
out. Or they don't realize what the shape of the stone is there for. In one Philadelphia cemetery, Woodlawn in West Philly (near the University of PA), they are
bringing the tradition back by having folks adopt a cradle grave. The volunteers are trained in
the types of plants and flowers that would have been used during the period of the fashion of
the cradles. They agree to take responsibility for the stones. And they learn about the people
buried there, so the interaction is preserved. How cool is that? https://hiddencityphila.org/…/gardeners-bring-cradle-grave…/ Unfortunately my favorite cemetery, Laurel Hill, has so many cradle graves that a similar
program is not possible. I couldn't have don't it anyway - I have a seriously black thumb, and
I don't think dead sticks are what the organizers at Woodlawn have in mind... So. Cradle graves. But more importantly, interaction with our dead. Let's think about how to
bring that back... Here are some photos of mine. The first is a pair of cradle graves. For some reason, I don't
really remember seeing only one - they are in pairs or at least more than one. That's probably
wrong, but that's how it is in my head.
One even has some grass growing in it!
The same two little cradle graves, at night. These probably ARE for babies. Sad.
Those were all from Laurel Hill Cemetery. But this last one - New Orleans, LA. Not exactly
like the ones in Laurel Hill or Woodlawn, but you can see that someone is taking care of the grass.
Cradle graves were apparently particularly popular in the South.
And here are a few from Ireland, where I am told they still use this monument style today
More like what we see in Laurel Hill, albeit a bit rough around the edges…
These (also from Ireland) are truly just damned creepy! LOL!
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