What) Overflowing
with hauntingly beautiful funerary statues, the 135 acres of
garden-style grounds at Hollywood Cemetery attracts
photographers as well as those out for a Sunday stroll amongst
the rolling hills overlooking the James River and the downtown
Richmond area. It offers scenic views as well as poignant
spots for reflection in the gothic landscape. The cemetery was
designed in 1847 and opened in 1849, just in time to make room
for the casualties of the Civil War. A memorial in the shape
of a 90-foot stone pyramid looms over the graves of over
18,000 enlisted Confederate soldiers buried here. (1)
In
addition, a statue of a dog stands guard on the grave of a
young girl. Around 1862, a little girl named Bernadine Rees
would regularly visit a merchant's shop with her mother, and
the dog statue was outside of the merchant's business. The
2-year old girl loved the statue and would pet and talk to the
"dog" whenever she visited. Bernadine fell victim to scarlet
fever, and passed away, and the mother was inconsolable. The
merchant had been to the funeral, and offered up the dog
statue to place on the child's grave, since she had loved it
so when she had been alive. The dog has stood guard on her
grave ever since, and people periodically leave small gifts
such as pennies and little toys as tokens of esteem or for
good luck. The area of the cemetery where the grave is located
is now known as "black dog hill." (2)
Where) 421 South Cherry Street Open daily from 8am - 5pm
Why) It
sure sounds like the something for me and something for Pam
type Buckys but there is a little used Buckys rule that says
you are not allowed to ask for help or directions when
searching for a Buckys. This meant that although we got
to the cemetery without trouble we weren't able to find a gate
to let us through the fence. After driving around for a
while, we decided to visit the nearby Mount Calvary Cemetery
instead. 
This spiderweb was constructed on the dead branches nearby and it seemed to fit in well with the surroundings.
