07.01.16 Hope Cemetery in Barre, Vermont

Friday, July 1, 2016 – Located in Barre, Vermont, the “Granite Capital of the World,” Hope Cemetery serves not only as a place to remember those who work outside the craft and are buried there, but also as a tribute to the stone cutters and artisans interred among the sculptures they created while they lived. Now about 65 acres in size, Hope Cemetery holds more than 10,000 tombstones and memorials. A common tourist destination, Hope Cemetery is known as the museum of granite sculpture or the gallery of granite artistry.

Each year visitors from all over the world tour Hope Cemetery to see some of the finest examples of memorial design and granite craftsmanship ever produced. We saw some of the most unusual tombstones as we walked through this huge and amazing cemetery.

As we were walking around I’d see large monuments with just last names on them.  I figured that this was such a popular cemetery that people erected their big statues before anyone died.  Soon we started noticing plaques in the ground near the larger tombstone with the information about the deceased.  Guess that’s how they do it here.

Being raised in New Orleans where large monuments and mausoleums are numerous it wasn’t that aspect that got our curiosity.  Normally I’m interested in the dates on the tombstones since I find really old ones to be intriguing.  This time we were looking for the most unique designs.  Here are some that we found:

Nothing special about this one except how he lost his life.

A couple who died decades apart

This one reminded me of something you’d see in a New Orleans cemeteryWhile Roy doesn’t usually join me as I walk around cemeteries he did today and he enjoyed it!

Guess what,  I applied for Social Security, yes I’m that old!!!!!

Ya’ll come back now, ya’ hear!!!

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