Good ol' Magnolia has been around for 170 years!
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Beautiful iron work! |
Being from Charleston I don't do very many of the "touristy" things, like the graveyard tours and the horse and carriage tours. Last Friday I went to
Magnolia Cemetery with my
Beyond the Grave class.
Bulldog Tours have a tour at Magnolia called,
The Spirits of Magnolia Cemetery Tour, which happens everyday at 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm. Use the link to view this tour and other Charleston area tours.
We walked around for about an hour and I got to see some beautiful views and amazing art work on the grave markers.
The overall size and layout of the cemetery is outstanding, many of the grave markers are big very elaborate and others are more simplistic. I did not get to see the entire cemetery, however, from what I got to see is breathtaking. It is hard to imagine how long it would have taken for many of the markers to be made with just a chisel and hammer.
Originally in the 1790s it was a rice plantation, then in 1849 the Magnolia Cemetery was founded and opened in 1850. This is a beautiful piece of land and the layout takes after the
Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The idea was to have a park feel for many people to enjoy nature while also being able to honor a loved one. Mount Auburn was the first of this kind and soon after many popped up resembling it, as did Magnolia Cemetery.
There are many winding pathways that can be driven or walked, these wind around the two lagoons within the cemetery and it sits next to a salt marsh. The smell of the marsh is never really that pleasant, however, I grew up living on the marsh so I am kind of used to the smell.
When you first walk in the gates there is a building off to the right. This used to be the bell tower and where the grounds keeper lived. The grounds keeper would welcome everyone who came to visit. Many years ago the bell tower came down, today the original bell sits to the left of the building and can still ring. Thanks to a classmate who rang it.
This sign list what is acceptable and what is not on the grounds and at the grave sites. Even dogs are welcome as long as they are kept on a leash, I did not know this and would not have thought about bringing my dog to a cemetery.