Exploring the Beautiful Land of the Dead

When I first arrived to Magnolia Cemetery, I was shocked by how large the place was. I knew it was large but not nearly so as when first saw it. Walking around it, each marker was so unique and different than the rest and have some insight into who was buried there which was really special and cool to see how different they are from the markers that are being made now. I really liked how the nature was preserved and it gave the cemetery such a beautiful low-country look that was breathtaking. I think that the nature with the large and unique grave markers is what was my favorite part about the cemetery. You could see the years in the trees just like you could in the markers. There was still plenty of life where many dead are buried, as if the dead are living through the nature that is there.

These first two photos I took mainly showed the sort of nature and layout of the cemetery. As you can see, there are different ponds and paths that one can take when walking around the cemetery. The grave sights are also laid out rather close to each other but are separated by barriers or land marks. I think that the landscape design is brilliant and really adds to it's uniqueness.

The closeness of the grave markers as well as how different they are from each other really brings in a lot of diversity that is really beautiful. I also really enjoyed how there wasn't just regular grave markers but an array of different styles that we went over in class. One of my favorite parts of the cemetery was "Mausoleum Row". The mausoleums have this sort of gothic vibe that is really beautiful and also kind of intimidating as well, to keep in mind that you are so close to their actual bodies that aren't underground (which is not very common) is, as I said, intimidating but also really cool and poetic. 

The first marker that I took a picture of was that of 1st Lieutenant John L. Weeks who fought in WWI and died from a fatal injury to the head while playing football. He was in his early twenties when he died and was attending the Citadel before the war began.

The second marker that I took a picture of was the James Henry and Julia Augusta Parker Exedra Monument that is very popular and was often a place where classes were hold or where people could sit and relax while they were visit their relatives. James Henry died after getting blood poisoning post surgery in his knee when it was injured in a revolving door.

The third and final marker that I took a picture of was that of the William and Hattie Bird Monument. The monument is supposed to be his wife who died of heart disease at 44. William Bird who died many years later. I gathered this information from In the Arms of Angels by Patrick Harwood. 

Unfortunately, my phone died before I could take anymore photos including the photo of myself.  Overall, my experience at the Magnolia Cemetery was very pleasant and was a very fun place to explore and learn.