Elmwood Cemetery, Historic cemetery in Detroit, United States
Elmwood Cemetery is a 86-acre burial ground in Detroit featuring streams, rolling hills, and thousands of monuments in diverse styles. The grounds display the architectural and design evolution of the city across more than 170 years through its varied grave markers and sculptures.
The cemetery was founded in 1846 and became the first fully integrated burial ground in the Midwest. This forward-thinking decision allowed people of all backgrounds and beliefs to be buried together in the same space.
The Gothic Revival gatehouse and chapel stand as reminders of Detroit's architectural heritage, while monuments honoring Civil War veterans and firefighters reflect the values the city held dear. Walking through, you see how the community chose to remember its own.
The grounds are walkable with paths that wind through hills and alongside streams, making exploration on foot quite manageable. Visitors should plan to spend time wandering the various sections to fully appreciate the range of monuments and landscapes.
The renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted designed the grounds in 1890, drawing inspiration from Mount Auburn Cemetery in Massachusetts. This design gave the cemetery its park-like qualities, setting it apart from typical burial grounds of the era.
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