Cemetery Discoveries - The Cemetery Detective™

Cementerio General in San José, Costa Rica: A Journey through History, Art, and Culture

On my recent journey to Costa Rica, I was privileged to explore Cementerio General. Cementerio General is a renowned cemetery in San José with over a century of history, architectural beauty, and cultural significance.

Known as the “City of the Dead,” Cementerio General offers visitors an insightful glimpse into Costa Rican society. The artistic expressions of its people and the profound stories of individuals who shaped the nation’s history are on display.

A Brief History of Cementerio General

Cementerio General was established in 1845. This cemetery remains the largest and most historically significant cemetery in Costa Rica. Created at a time when Costa Rica was shaping its national identity, the cemetery is tuned to the influences of Europe. The cemetery has become the final resting place for many notable figures, from politicians and artists to everyday citizens. Each person buried here left their mark on Costa Rican history. Today, this sprawling site serves as a testament to the diverse cultural and historical layers that have shaped San José and the nation as a whole.

Architectural Highlights

One of the most remarkable aspects of Cementerio General is its eclectic architectural style. The cemetery draws inspiration from European neoclassicism, art nouveau, and art deco movements. As I walked through the cemetery, I observed impressive mausoleums and tombstones. Monuments are adorned with intricate carvings, marble statues, and ornate ironwork. Some of the statues, particularly of angels and saints, reflect the Catholic influence that permeates Costa Rican culture. These monuments convey a deep sense of reverence by offering a striking contrast against the natural landscape that surrounds the cemetery.

One standout structure is the Mausoleo del General Tomás Guardia. This ornate mausoleum is dedicated to Costa Rica’s former president. Built with classical columns and crowned with angelic sculptures, the tomb speaks to the influence of European art. It represents the respect Costa Ricans have for historical figures who influenced the nation’s development.

Stories Beneath the Surface

No matter how small or how grandiose, every grave and mausoleum in Cementerio General tells a story. The diversity of tombs reflects Costa Rica’s social history. Burial sites range from simple headstones to grandiose family mausoleums. Some graves bear photographs, personal artifacts, and inscriptions. These artifacts add layers of intimacy. I came across the graves of prominent poets, politicians, and musicians, each accompanied by small tributes speaking to their lives and legacies.

One of the most touching parts of my visit was seeing the children’s section, where vibrant toys and decorations bring color to the space. This area serves as a reminder of the lives cut short and reflects the local tradition of honoring loved ones, no matter how brief their time on earth.

Cultural Significance

Cementerio General also serves as a place for reflection. Families visit regularly to honor their loved ones, particularly on special occasions such as Día de los Muertos. Costa Rican families hold deep-rooted traditions around honoring the deceased. While this cemetery becomes a cultural gathering site during such events, the solemness and respect is maintained.

Additionally, as Costa Rica has a strong artistic community, Cementerio General has attracted the attention of photographers, artists, and historians alike. The cemetery’s rich iconography and the stories of those buried here make it an essential stop for anyone interested in understanding Costa Rica’s cultural fabric.

Reflections on My Visit

Visiting Cementerio General left me with a profound appreciation for the ways in which cemeteries can serve as cultural and historical touchstones. Beyond simply being a burial ground, this cemetery stands as a museum of life stories. It is a testament to Costa Rica’s complex identity. This experience was both humbling and inspiring. My visit reminded me of the universal nature of remembrance and the unique ways every culture memorializes those who have passed.

If you ever find yourself in San José, I highly recommend a visit to Cementerio General. It’s an experience that speaks to the heart, and one that bridges past and present, showing how cemeteries can truly serve as “cities of the dead” that reflect the living history of a place.

“The Cemetery Detective” is dedicated to preserving the cultural significance of our cemeteries. Please check back often and subscribe to our YouTube Channel for frequent updates.

– Keith

Grave House and Barrel-Vaulted Gravesite in Madisonville, Tennessee

Exploring Unique Burial Traditions in Southeastern Tennessee

On a recent cemetery exploration in Madisonville, Tennessee, I discovered two fascinating grave features: a Grave House and a Barrel-Vaulted gravesite. As part of my journey as The Cemetery Detective, I documented these rare burial structures, which offer insights into local traditions, historical preservation, and unique forms of grave architecture in Southeastern Tennessee.

The Grave House: A Structure of Protection and Respect

The Grave House, found in select cemeteries across the southern United States, was likely built to protect the deceased from the elements and animals. Built directly over two gravesites, this small structure resembles a miniature house, complete with a sloped roof and open sides surrounded by braided-wire fencing. Historians believe grave houses may have served as protective shelters, preserving the grave from weather-related erosion and wildlife interference. The symbolic significance of this structure may also act as protection to the gravesites, a continuation of the protection the house gave while they were alive on earth.

Although mostly found in Upland South cemeteries within Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi, I have found structures resembling Grave House in other parts of the country and the world. However, their designs vary with the regions within which they are found.

In Madisonville, this Grave House was well-preserved, displaying painted woodwork as evidence of care by descendants or the local community. As I captured this on video, I couldn’t help but reflect on how this regional tradition may provide grieving families a unique way to memorialize their loved ones. The structure itself and the maintenance of the structure both physical protection of the gravesites and a lasting tribute to the memory of the deceased.

The Barrel-Vaulted Grave Covering: A Unique Architectural Style

Immediately adjacent to the Grave House, I discovered a rare Barrel-Vaulted gravesite. Unlike traditional flat or angled grave covers, this barrel vault is a rounded arch structure, crafted from red bricks covering the entire length of the grave. This distinctive mounded design may be inspired by European grave architecture. I have seen similar structures in my travels in Spain and Italy

Barrel-vaulted graves reflect an era when grave-building involved extensive masonry work, often at a significant cost of money and time to the family. In addition to its structural integrity, this vault shape may also signify a spiritual “vaulting” over the deceased, a notion possibly rooted in religious or cultural practices. It’s rare to find such an intact example of this barrel-vaulted grave covering design.

Preserving Historical Grave Sites

As I document unique gravesites and burial practices, it’s essential to recognize the importance of preserving these structures as well as the lives and the memories of the people they protect. Grave Houses and Barrel Vaults represent a tangible connection to past burial traditions and offer valuable insights into the customs, religious beliefs, and aesthetic preferences of earlier communities. By sharing these discoveries on The Cemetery Detective, I aim to raise awareness of these historical markers and the stories they hold.

Exploring the Unique Geology of Utah’s Cemeteries: Grave Yard Hollow & Fremont Cemetery

On my recent journey through Utah, I visited many fascinating cemeteries and geologic sites. On one gorgeous October afternoon, I strolled through Grave Yard Hollow and Fremont Cemetery. Both offered not only a glimpse into the past but also a unique integration with the region’s stunning geology. As “The Cemetery Detective,” it’s always intriguing to see how the land shapes the legacy of those laid to rest.

The Geology Behind the Stones

With formal education in geology and my lifelong research of cemeteries, my interest primarily focuses on how local geology influences the gravestones. Utah’s varied geological formations—ranging from sedimentary, metamorphic, and volcanic rocks, (limestone, and sandstone to volcanic tuff)—create a diverse array of natural materials for headstones. Many of the stones I encountered were either made from or inspired by local rock formations, giving the graves an organic connection to the surrounding landscape.

Grave Yard Hollow is a ravine. Erosional activity cuts deep into the landscape exposing layer after layer after layer of past geologic cycles. The variation of the material is not only striking due to its rich, earthy colors, but it also tells the story of the region’s ancient past. Sedimentary layers offer a glimpse into the geological history, much like the lives of those buried beneath in nearby Fremont Cemetery. Weathering has added texture and character as natural current weathering is working in tandem with the past.

Fremont Cemetery, nestled between the mountains and lush farmland, presentes gravestones with specific and unique geological signatures. Here, many stones are composed of polished granite, limestone, and marble. Other stones reflect Utah’s geologic history, offering a stronger and more resistant material that contrasts with the softer, weathered sandstone. The granite gravestones, with their polished surfaces, stand as enduring monuments, almost impervious to the elements. The geology not only shapes the aesthetics but also impacts how these headstones endure over time.

Historical Significance and Preservation

The stones serve as historical markers, not only of individuals but of the local culture. As settlers made their homes in the rugged Utah terrain, they used the resources available to them—including local rock—to honor their dead. This practice continues a long tradition of using the earth as a connection between the living and the deceased.

However, the local geology can also present challenges. Sandstone, though beautiful, is particularly susceptible to erosion but harder stones and fossilized stones consisting of quartz presents beauty and durability but come with additional challenges and difficulties in carving and inscription. Simple care techniques, such as gently cleaning with a soft brush and avoiding harsh chemicals, can help protect these stones from further degradation.

My Take as “The Cemetery Detective”

As I wandered through Utah’s cemeteries, I was reminded once again of how closely intertwined geology and history are in these resting places. The stones we see are not only markers of lives but are also records of the land itself. In Utah, a region known for its dramatic landscapes, it’s no surprise that the gravestones reflect that grandeur.

For anyone interested in cemetery research or simply appreciating the beauty of gravestones, I highly recommend visiting these sites. Grave Yard Hollow and Fremont Cemetery provide a peaceful yet awe-inspiring look at how nature and human memory are forever linked.

Uncovering the History of Tent Graves: WKRN – Hidden Tennessee

Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to be interviewed by WKRN – Hidden Tennessee about my ongoing cemetery research, particularly my work with tent graves at Mt. Gillead Cemetery near Sparta, Tennessee. Tent graves, a unique burial tradition found in a few locations across the American South, have long fascinated historians, archaeologists, and cemetery enthusiasts alike.

What Are Tent Graves?

Tent graves, sometimes called ‘comb graves,’ are characterized by stone slabs laid in an A-frame over the burial site, resembling the shape of a tent. This practice was most common in the 19th century, and while there are varying theories about their purpose—ranging from protecting the grave to marking the status of the deceased—the exact origins remain somewhat mysterious. Mt. Gillead Cemetery, home to a significant number of these graves, serves as a key site for uncovering their historical significance.

Why Mt. Gillead Cemetery?

Mt. Gillead Cemetery, nestled in the hills near Sparta, Tennessee, offers a unique window into this burial practice. My research focuses on documenting the remaining tent graves and piecing together the stories of the individuals interred beneath them. Each stone, weathered by time and nature, holds a fragment of a story waiting to be told.

During my interview with WKRN, I shared the importance of preserving these sites and understanding their cultural significance. I explained how the tent grave tradition is a symbol of the connection between past generations and their final resting places—a practice that ties us to the people and times that shaped the region.

The Future of Cemetery Research

This interview was a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness about cemetery preservation, a cause close to my heart. By continuing to study unique burial practices like tent graves, we can gain insight into how people of the past approached death, memorialization, and community.

If you’re interested in learning more about my research, feel free to explore other posts on my blog or reach out directly. Together, we can work toward preserving the history that lies in our cemeteries, waiting to be rediscovered.

Boot Hill Cemetery – Testament to a Sordid Past

Boot Hill Cemetery – Final Resting Place of the Restless Sin City of Sidney Nebraska

I drove along the vast stretch of I-80, the flat Nebraska plain stretching to the horizon endlessly like an old man’s last breath forever drawing out as if the end would never come. Like the Pioneers who traveled westward to find their riches I soon found my progress abated at Boot Hill Cemetery in Sidney Nebraska.

Sidney Nebraska’s Legacy

Sidney Nebraska’s Boot Hill Cemetery wasn’t on any grand tourist map; it was a whisper, a ghost of a memory from the days when men lived and died by the gun. The road was a straight shot, monotonous and dull, the kind of drive that makes you question your own sanity. Dark, ominous, towering clouds appeared to my north presenting a contrast to the forever blue skies I had suffered through from a day of uninspired driving. A swirling dust devil spun madly, crossing immediately beside my Honda Accord, buffeting my wheels before dissipating into the violent, rumbling threat of an impending afternoon thunderstorm.

But there, tucked away unceremoniously in an out-of-the-way nook below a rise in the landscape, beside a public works storage depot where gravel and rock and sand was stored, where road crews drove their dump trucks and their front-end loaders to make their day’s wages, was Boot Hill Cemetery—a graveyard of stories, where the past lay buried beneath the dirt and the dust and the ceaseless passage of time.

Testament To a Sordid Past

Boot Hill wasn’t just a place; it was a testament to an era when life was cheap and death was a constant companion. The headstones stood like crooked teeth in a mouth too old to care, each one marking the spot where another poor soul had bitten the dust, laid to rest in the restlessness of this harsh Nebraska plain.

Madam "Boots" Loved By All Grave Marker in Boot Hill Cemetery

I wandered through the rows, feeling the weight of history pressing down on me, the ghosts of cowboys and outlaws and curators of brothels where whiskey and women were slung with similar abandon, whispering their tales into the wind. This was no ordinary cemetery—it was a relic, a reminder of the harsh realities of life on the frontier as canvas covered wagons pulled by dreary horses, pots and pans clanging, made their way westward in a gold rush, a quest for the fortunes all men desire.

A Graveyard Dedicated to the Rough Men and Women

As I stood there, I couldn’t help but feel a strange connection to those who had come before. They were rough men and women living in rough times, and Boot Hill was their final resting place. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t quiet, but it was real, and in a world full of plastic and pretense and noise, that was enough for me.

Lil Asa Kilt By Injuns Cemetery Grave Marker

The constant commotion of nearby road crews was appropriate for this cemetery full of those who lived their lives with their own commotion, their own turmoil, their own eventual ends dying with their boots on as a fitting finality to the legend of Sidney’s moniker of Sin City. The noise and the dust was barely a distraction as I walked among the graves, letting the stories of the dead wash over me like a grim lullaby, each one a reminder that we all end up in the ground eventually, no matter how hard we fight to stay above it.

Killed by Robber Boot Hill Cemetery Gravestone

What Is This Gravestone? – A Zinc Grave Marker!

Zinc Grave Markers are very common. I found this Zinc (White Bronze) grave marker in Old Grey Cemetery, Knoxville Tennessee.

Have you ever visited a cemetery and noticed 1 gravestone that appears different than all the others?

If you are in a cemetery, you will see all different types of stone used in the creation of gravestones and monuments and headstones. Some grave markers will be made from marble. Marble is an interesting rock type that has been used for centuries in cemeteries as memorials and gravestones. Marble is a metamorphic rock which lends itself to beautiful carvings as gravestones.

Limestone Gravestones

Limestone is also used quite regularly in cemeteries. There are different varieties of limestone. Much of this particular type of rock is used in cemeteries due to its economic cost and ease of transport. Some limestones are different than others.

Sandstone Gravestones

Some cemeteries have sandstone grave markers. Sandstone is beautiful. Color and texture of sandstone depends on the specific geographic location and depth of the original stone.

Granite Gravestones

Granite gravestones are certainly in wide use in cemeteries today. Granite grave markers are easy to come by. Our advances in quarrying methods, inscription tools, and transportation make granite an affordable grave marker.

As easily recognizable as these gravestone materials are, keep your eyes out for headstones that look different from all these other stones. I recently visited Old Grey Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee. Within this cemetery I found a most unusual looking marker.

Zinc (White Bronze) Grave Marker

It is an obelisk with panels. I heard a hollow ring when I rapped it with my knuckles. This is a Zinc Grave Marker. Zinc grave markers are also known as White Bronze. Many of these grave markers were produced by the Monumental Bronze Company.

This particular “zinky” was manufactured by the Detroit Bronze Company in Detroit Michigan. Detroit Bronze Company was a manufacturer (subsidiary) of the Monumental Bronze Company out of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Detroit Bronze Co. operated from 1881 – 1886.

Zinc Grave Markers are very common. I find them in many cemeteries I visit. I even found a zinc grave marker in a cemetery in Bermuda.

Have you ever found a zinc grave marker? Please tell me about it in the comment section below.

Florence City Cemetery – YOU WON’T RUN OVER TOM CLARK!

Quite often, throughout history, individuals and groups of people are excluded from burial within certain cemeteries.

Yesterday, I posted a photo from Florence City Cemetery in Florence, Alabama. Here is a photo from the same cemetery. An outlaw from 1872 is buried near the center of Tennessee Street so the town’s folk can run over him every day. It’s a great story.

This notorious outlaw gang leader who boasted that no one would ever run over Tom Clark lies buried near the center of Tennessee Street where now all who pass by do run over him. In 1872 Clark, who terrorized helpless citizens during the Civil War, confessed to at least nineteen murders, including a child, and was hanged with two companions. Although graves were already dug in a nearby field, outraged townspeople interred Clark beneath Tennessee Street thus bringing his boast to nought.

Quite often, throughout history, individuals and groups of people are excluded from burial within certain cemeteries. Do you know of other examples?

Gravestone Depicts Snowy Cemetery Scene

Gravestones Tell a Story

Gravestones signify a person’s passing, a life lived.
Gravestones present opportunities for loved-ones to reminisce.
Gravestones allow those who never knew the deceased to imagine what their lives were like in the time they lived.
Gravestones can be as simple as uninscripted fieldstones; without names or dates, they simply mark places of burial.
Or, gravestones can give detailed information about the people’s lives, causes of death, and family connections.

I found a gravestone recently during my study of cemeteries in Polk County, Tennessee. With a laser-etched image and a few simple words, this gravestone might very well do the best job explaining a couple’s life and lifestyle of any gravestone I have ever seen.

The context of the gravestone lies in the surroundings of the cemetery. As I view the stone, behind me the hills of Chilhowie Mountain are ablaze in autumn’s colors. In front of me, the valley stretches into fertile flatlands. And all around me, Polk County slowly trudges through time as it has for two centuries.

The gravestone perfectly captures this couple’s life and the time in which they lived. He, in his overalls, is strapped behind a plow horse. She, in her apron, expertly wields a hoe. Together, they tend their garden. Beside the garden patch is a row of bee hives. Obviously, the couple made their own honey.

A small farmhouse sits just beyond a clothesline where the couple’s laundry was dried on warm summer days. I imagine the image is captured during a season change because the hilltops are lightly dusted with white frost. I’ve seen this frost many times but most recently when I began an early morning March paddle of the Hiwassee River not far from here.

This Gravestone Reflects an Image

The smoothness of the gravestone perfectly reflects Chilhowie Mountain behind me. I want to visit this cemetery one winter morning when there is frost atop the hills so I can see them reflected just as they are depicted on the gravestone. The crux of the scene is captured in words written on the tailgate of an old pickup truck parked in a wooden barn where the plow horse spends its nights.

The words allude to the changes that Polk County is experiencing and not only of the death of the couple buried here but the passing of a lifestyle and the fading of their home. The words are small. I have to get close to see what they actually say but when I read them, I almost tear up. “About all that’s left of the old homeplace is a lot of memories.”

The Importance of Maintaining Cemeteries

Whether a grave marker is a simple field stone or a detailed description of a person’s life, gravestones help us hold onto the memories, and that is important.

Snowy Hilltops — Snowy Hills Polk County Cemetery

Exploring Reelfoot Lake

A mid-summer road trip to explore cemeteries of Western Tennessee turns into an adventure on Reelfoot Lake.

Reelfoot Lake – Western Tennessee.

For a couple days during the July 4th week, I took my kayak to Lake County, Tennessee in the extreme North West reaches of the state. I was in the area to explore cemeteries near the shoreline of Reelfoot Lake. Reelfoot Lake was formed during a succession of earthquakes from late 1811 to the big quake that occurred February 7, 1812.

The Natural Beauty of Reelfoot Lake

Many areas of Reelfoot Lake are swamp-like. Bald Cypress pierce the surface growing skyward 100 feet. I kayaked shallow water beneath the cypress’ darkening canopy. Searching for Water Moccasins and Broad-banded Water Snakes, I felt uneasy fantasizing of my reaction should a snake drop from a tree and hitch a ride in my kayak. I love wildlife in areas like this; Osprey, Eagle, Egret, Turtle, and Dragonfly by the hundreds. My favorite wildlife encounters on this day were the two large beaver dam I found in a far removed remote section of the swamp. As I paddled right up to the 2nd beaver dam, I heard beaver grunting and working and gnawing tree branches inside their den.

After 3 hours paddling alone and without seeing another human soul in the swamp, I decided to turn back in advance of a threatening afternoon thunderstorm. I like to think I have a pretty good sense of direction but the myriad bayous and narrow reedy marshy paths I had explored mishmashed in my memory.

Lost In A Swamp

“Oh no! I’m lost!” As I paddled furiously searching for the boggy opening in the treeline where I launched my kayak early that morning, I heard cracks of thunder immediately behind me. “Where is that opening? Where is my van? I think I recognize that osprey nest. That tree looks familiar. Is that turtle the same turtle I saw this morning? WHERE IS THAT OPENING?“

I paddled for a good 45 minutes toward the direction where I thought I had left my van hours before. Each inlet looked the same as the last inlet. Midsummer heat and sunshine caused algae blooms to fully cover the swamp’s surface. Distinguishing features softened into a continual undulation of never-ending shoreline.

“I’m never going to make it out of this swamp. They’ll have to send a search party but they’ll never find me. I’ll be consumed by the swamp. Devoured by turtles and osprey and water moccasins. I wonder who will play the lead character in the movie they’ll make about this. WHERE IS THAT OPENING?“

With enormous black clouds overhead and raindrops beginning to fall, I had to admit I was lost. My personal stark realization of my inability to find my way out of this endless swamp consumed me with each stroke of my paddle. Heavy in my hands, I laid my paddle across my lap to rest my weary arms. My kayak ground to a halt from friction of the thick…thick surrounding vegetation.

Finding My Way Out

I dipped my hand through the vegetation to make contact with the water below. Expecting refreshing cool, I was met, instead, with emanating heat from the lake’s surface. I didn’t even think what might lie beneath. A giant Alligator Snapping Turtle? A Muskrat with gnarled, sharpened teeth? The Water Moccasin I’d been seeking for hours? Pulling my hand back into my kayak, I reached for my water bottle. I had plenty of fluids left but any ice I had brought with me had long since melted in this blistering July heat.

With reluctance and a final admittance that I could not find my own way out of the swamp, I reached into my dry-sack for my trusty GPS. Luckily, I had set a waypoint of my launch point when I first set out early in the morning. According to the graphic on the electronic map, I was less than 1/2 mile away. A quick paddle through thick mats of aquatic lilies had me back at my launch point in a matter of minutes. “Ah, there’s my van….cool.”

I never did find any Water Moccasins but I sure was happy to be back on dry land.

Off I set out to explore the nearby cemeteries.

Cemetery or Cemetary?

How do you spell it?
CEMETARY or CEMETERY

How do you spell it? Do you spell the word CEMETARY or CEMETERY?

Although all authoritative references spell the word with 3 Es, I see many examples of the word being spelled CEMETARY online and on signs. In fact, I see reference the the “A” spelling of the word that I simply think of it as a variant spelling.

Where did this spelling originate?

Dictionary.com states the word is Late Latin originating from a Greek word meaning “A Sleeping Place.” According to that reference, the word is spelled with 3 Es.

Although the book stephen king pet sematary“>Pet Sematary includes “A”s, Stephen King is not to blame for the single “A” spelling variant. In fact, I’ve seen references to the word “Cemetary” predating the 1981 release of the book.

I am an occasional poster on the message system called “Reddit.” It’s funny to read online message boards where someone mistakenly misspells the word only to be chastised by other members of the forum or by spelling “bots” that make suggestions on the correct spelling…sometimes rather rudely.

Does Cemetary(sic) Spelling Matter?

Irrespective of how anyone spells the word, I never take offense at simple misspellings because I know the intended use of the word. Besides, I’ve never been a perfect speller, myself. The only time it spelling (really) matters to me is when you type in my website address. But, then, you can simply Google “The Cemetery Detective.“
By following the Google links, you will be able to find the following sources:
– The Cemetery Detective Website
– My YouTube Channel with over 70 Cemetery Research videos.
– The Cemetery Detective’s Facebook Page.
– Or my Twitter Channel dealing with Cemeteries.

Do you have instances of signs with “Cemetery” written on an official sign of a cemetery? I would like to hear about them or see photos. You can contact me directly via my Contact Form.

Here are a few photos of “Cemetary” I’ve taken recently:

[Show as slideshow]