Stonewall Jackson Cemetery - Megan Philips

The first thing I noticed when we entered the graveyard through the main entrance was Jackson’s Memorial that towers over the others. I noticed right away that the directionality of the tombstones, which face east, differed from Jackson’s statue, which faces south, as seen below. I think it is very powerful that, as we discussed as a class, the reason for this placement is so that he will never turn his back on the south. 

            I also found it interesting how mixed in style the tombstones were. It gives insight into the differing beliefs and preferences of those who are buried and their families. Some had religious symbols, some were simple in their design, and some had additional plaques or offerings. There were also differing tombstones, like the obelisk and mausoleum shown below.

 

Another aspect of the site that we discussed was how it has changed throughout time. We know that the entrance used to come from the east, which is why all of the tombstones face there, and that Jackson’s memorial was added after the graveyard had already existed. Another thing that I have learned about the graveyard from a previous geology class was how the preferences in material used in making the tombstones have changed throughout time. As seen in some of the older tombstones that are so weathered we can’t read them, like the one below on the left, the limestone and marble tombstones have not held up to the natural processes very well. As a result, many of the relatively recent tombstones, like the ones from the 1950s below on the right, are made out of more durable rock, like granite, that will hold up well.

          

This indicates that the graveyard is constantly changing and adapting through time.