Western Reserve Cemeteries
The Hiram Fairview Cemetery circa 1900
Cemeteries are thought of primarily as places for burying the dead. Oddly enough they are also some of the most important symbols of our relationships: to our fellow inhabitants of our communities, to God and our place in the world, and even to nature.
The landscapes of cemeteries remain in many urban settings as some of the most "natural" settings of cities. In rural villages they can also represent the most human influenced settings in what appears to be a natural pastoral scene. To understand the relationship of cemeteries to local people, we need to examine all aspects of the cemetery: its plan, its gravestones; its monuments and its plants.