Last night was hot and I was too restless to stay at home so I went for another walk in the cemetery. With all the huge trees and grass it was surprisingly pleasant.
Since I’ll be going back I decided it might be time to do a bit of research. In 1846, Charles Evans donated 25 acres of his estate to be made into a garden cemetery. It was the third one established in the country. Prior to that, all burials were on church grounds or private, family land. In 183, the first such cemetery was designated in Boston. The idea for it was to be a place for public, non-sectarian burials in addition to a beautifully landscaped area to commune with nature as well as deceased loved ones. On pleasant days, people would go for strolls and often picnic by the graves. In other words, garden cemeteries were a precursor to public parks.
At the time it began the Charles Evans cemetery was one mile from Reading. Now, it’s part of the city. Upon his death in 1847,
he left three-quarters of the rest of his estate, bringing the size of the cemetery to 127 acres. Due to the act of the General Assembly incorporated in 1846, no street, lane, or road can ever cross the grounds, nor will they ever be subject to taxation.
Last night I walked around the end opposite from where I was last time. From there you could actually sit on the hill and listen to the Reading Phillies game in the distance. I found some awesome angels and went for a stroll with four deer. They weren’t at all concerned that I was there. They let me get so close I forgot all about taking pictures of them. I will next time. I found a
doorway in a tree. I tapped, meaning to introduce myself, but no one seemed to be home. Then I came across the gazebo. There are benches inside and I can imagine spending an afternoon reading there. Perhaps on a rainy day. This angel is nearby. Want to join us?
Since I’ll be going back I decided it might be time to do a bit of research. In 1846, Charles Evans donated 25 acres of his estate to be made into a garden cemetery. It was the third one established in the country. Prior to that, all burials were on church grounds or private, family land. In 183, the first such cemetery was designated in Boston. The idea for it was to be a place for public, non-sectarian burials in addition to a beautifully landscaped area to commune with nature as well as deceased loved ones. On pleasant days, people would go for strolls and often picnic by the graves. In other words, garden cemeteries were a precursor to public parks.
At the time it began the Charles Evans cemetery was one mile from Reading. Now, it’s part of the city. Upon his death in 1847,
he left three-quarters of the rest of his estate, bringing the size of the cemetery to 127 acres. Due to the act of the General Assembly incorporated in 1846, no street, lane, or road can ever cross the grounds, nor will they ever be subject to taxation.Last night I walked around the end opposite from where I was last time. From there you could actually sit on the hill and listen to the Reading Phillies game in the distance. I found some awesome angels and went for a stroll with four deer. They weren’t at all concerned that I was there. They let me get so close I forgot all about taking pictures of them. I will next time. I found a
doorway in a tree. I tapped, meaning to introduce myself, but no one seemed to be home. Then I came across the gazebo. There are benches inside and I can imagine spending an afternoon reading there. Perhaps on a rainy day. This angel is nearby. Want to join us?
1 comment:
What a lovely place. Thank you for sharing the photos!
Post a Comment