A real Victorian beauty, Prospect Hill was established in 1858 by the German Evangelical Church Society of the United Evangelical Concordia Church. Hence, the headstones read like the Hoffbrau Haus waiting list, and many are intricately carved with gorgeous floral motifs that were popular in the mid to late 1800's.
I first came for a late-in-the-day visit a week ago. The sun was setting and I knew I wouldn't have enough time to get a good view and time for pictures, so I settled on driving through. On that day, there was a good deal of vandalism in one sector...a large angel knocked off her pedestal and a broken headstone. My hat is off to the caretaker(s), everything was repaired a week later.
The cemetery is set up as a walkable loop with a pretty garden in the middle. It's also alive with all sorts of ivy, wildflowers, huge trees (one of which had just turned a brilliant orange), and snakes. Yep...you read that right. The little buggers, all garters from what I could tell, were everywhere. I decided my habit of sitting or lying on the ground to get a good angle for a shot could wait.
Though Prospect Hill shares a fence with Glenwood and is situated across the road from St. Mary's, it has a very distinct and exclusive feel. It seems to be much more a part of nature and carries a more European flavor. Small and elegant, it's well worth a visit, especially on a dreary fall day. Unlike Glenwood, which is heavy with angel imagery, Prospect Hill offers uniquely carved headstones that reflect the natural world. That's probably what makes it seem very in tune with the life around it.
This is another cemetery where off street parking is a must if you plan to do a walk. The grounds aren't very large, but parking in the lane doesn't leave much room for another vehicle to pass. Please make sure you heed the sign that says "Gate Closes at 4:00". They're not kidding about that. I drove in yesterday to tour and lost my keys while tromping around and taking pictures. After 20 minutes and a LOT of panicking, I found them. I also found that the gates, though my bigass red truck was visible, had been closed. This was the scariest part of my visit, because i really didn't want to approach the imposing caretaker's home and bang on the door (that just smacked of the beginning of a good horror movie). Luckily, those old iron gates hadn't been locked yet, so I could reopen them to get out and close them after. Rocky Horror Replay avoided!
additional photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cynroux/tags/prospecthillcemetery/
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Disclaimer: I'm reviewing cemeteries for the purpose of a good relaxing walk, photographic opportunities, historic and unusual markers and maybe a little ghoulish thrill here and there. I'm a Victorian Taphophile at heart. Happy Halloween Kids! read more