a visit to Maury/Mt.Olivet Cemetery
A photo of the gravestone for Henry Clay Beattie Jr and his wife Louise W. Owen in Kollatz’ Richmond in Ragtime inspired a recent trip out to Manchester’s Maury/St.Olivet Cemetery. Check out the book to get the story on what Beattie did and then take a jaunt south to walk around the cemetery for yourself…
The Mt. Olivet and Maury cemeteries “developed separately but side-by-side about 1875. Mt. Olivet was for African Americans, and Maury was for whites“. Other sources say specifically that Maury Cemetery dates back to 1874 and the explain the many tombstones antedating that year “by the fact that many bodies were brought here from private graveyards” (the oldest grave marker dates 1847).
Here are some of the photos from today; check out the entire set.
Greetings Mr. Murden:
I ran across your site while researching information about Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Richmond, VA. I have family members who rest in both Mt. Olivet and Maury Cemeteries. My family members are the Jenkins Family, the Robinson Family, and the Hickman Family. My grandparents: Robert L. and Josephine W. Jenkins. My great-grandparents: Harvey L. and Lottie P. Robinson Jenkins and my great-great grandpartents: Harvey Jenkins and Elvira Smith Jenkins. Additional great-great grandparents are George Robinson and Mollie Hickman Robinson rest in Mt. Olivet as well. To my knowledge, they all have the cement borders with the family’s name etched in the middle. I was wondering if you have any additional pictures from Mt. Olivet Cemetary. I live in Bowie, MD so I do not have a chance to visit Richmond as often as I would like.
Hey Leroy,
I don’t, everything that I took is in the flickr set. The next time I’m out there, though, I’ll look around for this names & send you an email if I find anything.
Thank you very much for getting back to me. I would appreciate whatever you could do. I am performing genealogy research and the final resting places would be a wonderful tribute.
[...] Owners of lots and gravesites in City-owned and operated cemeteries are reminded that according to City Code all flowers, decorations and non-approved vases must be removed from lots and gravesites by March.1. This is to allow for the Cemeteries Division of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities to conduct its annual spring cleanup. City-owned cemeteries include Shockoe Hill, Oakwood, St. John’s Church, Riverview, Maury and Mount Olivet. [...]
Why do people honk their car horns when passing by Maury Cemetery on Hopkins Road? I spent a recent Saturday afternoon working on a cleanup project on the property across Hopkins Road from the cemetery, and I heard honking from almost every car. I’m pretty sure they all weren’t honking at us!
Is there an actual list of the persons laid to rest in this cemetery? I know my grand parents George and Grace Cobb and my grandmothers relatives, The Nunnallys are in this cemetery, but we don’t know at what end to start looking for them. My mother is deceased also, so we don’t have this information. I do remember going there as a child and my grandparents are in a square concrete area and I think Cobb is on it. Also is there a map? I have looked up this cemetery in the phone book and there isn’t an office to contact. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
I also want to know how to find a family member. I spent an hour driving around the area of the cemetery where I thought they were buried and could not find them. There must be somebody to contact.
I have never visited this cemetery but have family buried there in a large family plot. Family names are Talbott, Hart, Bass.
I have a question though….. There was a Confederate States marker in the family plot at one time, thought not sure if it is still there. It was not exactly by a headstone. How do I find out who the marker was for? There is only 2 buried in the family plat that it could actually belong to but I have no record of either service during the C.W..
Any help will be greatly appreciate.
To P. Rankin:
I have been compiling a list of Confederate soldiers buried in Maury.
I have Sidney Baxter Bass, b. 1/18/1840,
d. 6/16/1918, 12th Va. Infantry. His grave is marked and also has an Iron
Cross. He is in Div 24, Sec. 12, Gr 2.
Also, Thomas W. Bass, b. 10/02/1840,
d. 12/28/1895, 12th Va. Inf. His grave
is marked but does not have an Iron Cross. He is in Div 1 Plat H, Range 4,
Sec 38. No Harts or Talbots. Hope this helps.
I visited this cemetery this week and was intrigued by an “island” in the center that was home to only the graves of small children. All different family names, different DoDs from the 1900′s all the way up to the 1960′s. Does anyone know anymore about this part of the cemetery?
I recently made a visit to maury cemetary and I too was wondering why so many cars were honking there horns as I was close to the road. All I could seem to figure was it seemed to be and act of sympathy possibly to stay strong or they too had a loved one buried there. There were far to many passer bys honking for it to seem like it was someone just being a random jerk.
[...] Owners of lots and gravesites in City-owned and operated cemeteries are reminded that according to City Code all flowers, decorations and vases that are on the ground must be removed by March 1. This is to allow the Cemeteries Division of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities to conduct its annual spring cleanup. City-owned cemeteries include Shockoe Hill, Oakwood, St. John’s Church, Riverview, Maury and Mount Olivet. [...]
[...] Credit to John at CHPN for cluing me in on this. Owners of lots and gravesites in City-owned and operated cemeteries are reminded that according to City Code all flowers, decorations and vases that are on the ground must be removed by March 1. This is to allow the Cemeteries Division of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities to conduct its annual spring cleanup. City-owned cemeteries include Shockoe Hill, Oakwood, St. John’s Church, Riverview, Maury and Mount Olivet. [...]