The Silent Garden

Visiting a cemetery can be a little creepy and uncomfortable especially when one believes in ghosts. But they can make fascinating destinations. Some cemeteries have beautiful work of art, scenery and landscape especially when there is good flora and fauna. The historical substance behind them can also be intriguing, with the tombstones sometimes suggesting life stories. Sometimes one may find famous people they never knew about. One of the fascinating cemeteries that would appeal to one’s imagination is Glenwood Cemetery.

Founded in 1834, Glenwood is a garden-style cemetery lying along the Buffalo Bayou in Downtown Houston. Its visual appeal, history and sculpture has made it a natural attractive resting place for America’s elites. It includes the gravesites of the last president of Texas, Senators, Congressmen, U.S. Ambassadors, Governors, War Veterans, and numerous other prominent businessmen and residents.

Most of the graves are family graves where family members are buried together. This is particularly due to the fact that the plots are sold and are usually high cost. According to Suzanne Turner and Joanne Wilson, humanities scholars and authors of the book Houston’s silent garden, the first advertisement for Glenwood Rural Cemetery appeared in the City Directory 1889. It said that there was a variety of plots up for grabs at different prices depending on its location along the cemetery drive, closeness to special features or ornamentation that is desirable.

A drive within the cemetery is enjoyable due to the well paved roads that have been well-thought-out and planned to allow parking along the roads and for easy accessibility of the entire cemetery.

The artistic sculptures are beauty to the eyes and tell unique stories of the people that rest under them. Common are angels—some young, others old, female and other male. One of the interesting ones was on the Hill family monument—a weeping angel. The sculpture is called the Statue of Grief. Originally sculpted in 1894, the angel bends over the tomb in grief for the departed. Resting there are three people, Abbie Hill (1866- 1903), Judge E.P. Hill (1838-1920) and Mary Anna Bradfield (1841-1930). As it Anne who was the daughter was the first one to pass that brought so much grief to the family. To show how much she meant to them and how much grief was in their hearts resulting from her departure, they erected the Statue of Grief.

Another interesting statue portraying grief is one  on the grave of Dr. Allen George Heard (1882-1927). According to Suzanne and Joanne, the sculpture called solitude was brought by his wife Ellen Lyon Heard from France.

To make everything more exciting is beautiful vegetation within the cemetery. Glenwood is splendidly endowed with oaks and pines. The scenic beauty is inviting, with beautiful landscapes that give it a superfluous look. Although some of the old oaks are reported to have been lost to winds and hurricane. One of the oldest oaks however still stands in the north side of the cemetery. It is now held by metal bars to keep the heavy branches from falling and damaging some grave stones. With the Bayou taking another shape, the cemetery will even became more beautiful than ever.

When the cemetery was started, the planners and shareholders had the vision to create a site that people would rest but also a beautiful garden that would preserve the history of Texas. Their ideas have lived to expectation and they continue to live today. Currently they Glenwood Cemetery welcomes families of all religions and cultures. Cemetery lots of any size, from single burial spaces to family estates. Such diversity is seen by the different types of graves in the cemetery, the statues, and sculptures. They all show a diversity in the nationalities, religions and cultures of the people buried there. However because of the attraction that it gets coupled with the significant investments that are made into it, it usually attracts the elite people.

Although we see the beautiful art within as we celebrate our loved ones gone, the story of Glenwood however lies not only in the beauty of the sculptures and flowers and trees. It’s a story that tells us a lot about Houston. We can see that as early as 1871 when the cemetery was just being started, the people had already a vision of a beautiful garden style cemetery. This indicates the nature of the people that lived before us. That they had a vision, were organized and thoughtful. Their original plan has seen the present day beautiful Glenwood. A cemetery that is not just a resting place for our beloved departed, but one that one can take time off to just visit and meditate or just have to admire beauty and nature. One that can make one know more about the history of Houston. Glenwood cemetery, a silent resting place, guarded by angels.