Stonewall Jackson Cemetary - Camilla Davis

            Upon entering the cemetery from the entrance on Main Street, the key point of focus is the Stonewall Jackson Memorial which towers over the graves which flank it. As the viewer approaches the memorial, they pass through a gate which frames the memorial. One would naturally expect for this framework to be positioned on the front of the memorial however, in this case it angles the viewer to the side of Stonewall Jackson. Despite the main entrance originally facing the west and the current entrance facing the east, Stonewall Jackson faces the south. This orientation serves as a metaphor for the idea that Jackson never turned his back on the south.

Positioned in a hollowed out tree sits three small graves and a stone pathway which circles around the trunk of the tree. Each gravestone marks the resting place of a child who has passed. The position of the gravestones within the tree combines the senses of both intimacy and whimsy. The space is intimate as it is separated from the other graves and given its own space. The fact that the space is within a tree contributes the sense of whimsy as though it is a space for fairies or woodland creatures. This sense is entirely befitting of a resting place for children. 

            This gravestone serves as a representation of the ways that people act upon memorial sights. It illustrates the tradition of leaving items such as flowers or flags at a gravesite in order to make an offering and show respect for the person who has passed. This tradition of acting upon a memorial is not only present in cemeteries but in many different types of memorials. For example, at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. it is customary for a viewer to take a rubbing of the engraved name of a relative or friend who passed during the war and to bring the rubbing home with them. By acting upon the memorial, the viewer is able to establish a deeper emotional bond with the subject that the memorial commemorates.