Month: July 2023

Cemeteries should be beautiful, thoughtfully designed landscapes that connect with communities. The LA Group has a proven track record of bringing intuitive and dignified design to national and state veterans cemeteries.

Space efficient columbarium walls provide burial capacity and fit seamlessly into historic cemetery landscapes.

Upfront improvements save money in the long run, from transitioning asphalt roadways to permeable surfaces to planting native grasses that require less mowing.

Master Plan

A cemetery master plan is the foundation for a long term strategy. It allows for the identification of short and long term needs for a cemetery(s), maps out an overall strategy and goals, and provides a logical and realistic implementation plan for a variety of projects based on need. The master plan also helps to optimize land utilization and improve the overall aesthetic of a cemetery.

Cemetery needs identified in the report were combined with a site inventory to formulate a high level concept plan that included a pavilion, a scattering garden for cremains, a mausoleum expansion and viewpoints. These additional burial options increase interment opportunities and provide new choices for families.

The primary entry to the cemetery is a paved drive lined by stone walls on both sides. Overgrown ‘Burning Bush’ shrubs block visibility and inhibit vehicular and pedestrian circulation. These areas were redesigned with a combination of horticulture, walls and paving to create a more welcoming entryway for visitors.

Landscape and Architecture

A cemetery is a delicate space where one bids their loved ones farewell. The landscape and architecture of a cemetery should be designed to be aesthetically pleasing and sensitive. This way, people can visit the cemetery without feeling sad or anxious.

To do this, the cemetery must have scenic vistas, water features, and natural or artificial ponds. This creates a serene atmosphere and attracts wildlife. It also improves the overall aesthetic of the cemetery and increases its marketability.

A cemetery is not only a place for burial, but also for remembrance and healing. The new design of a cemetery is more than just a graveyard; it celebrates life, family, heritage, and individuality, all within a shared community. This requires a different kind of know-how. This is where a good architect and designer come in. During the planning stage, they perform analysis and programming to understand the cemetery’s needs. This helps them to develop a master plan that is based on long term goals.

Accessibility

The ability to walk and move around is vital for people’s experience with a cemetery. With sensitivity to the primarily sacred nature of cemeteries, paths must be designed to accommodate a variety of personal mobility needs while minimizing barriers in areas of common travel.

With the popularity of cremation, many cemeteries now provide columbarium walls, where urns can be stored within a wall of niches. These are typically much more space efficient than burial plots. They are also a way to make the cemetery more attractive, and they allow families to purchase and reserve a place for their loved ones’ cremated remains.

Mourners often leave flowers on the columbarium walls. Some of the newer designs take this into consideration and include a clip beside each plaque for a single or small posy. These clips are designed to quickly and easily detach so the flowers can be taken down and disposed of at a later time, without causing any maintenance problems.

Signage

Providing appropriate and effective signage is a key element of cemetery design. Signs help visitors understand the rules of a burial ground and encourage respect. They also set the tone of the place and provide a sense of order and calm.

Directional road signs directing drivers to heritage sites are an important part of the overall wayfinding system, helping people decide where to go and what route to take. Moreover, they may be the only indication of the presence of a site for many travelers, who may not have heard of or read about it beforehand.

Cemetery and memorial park entrance signs need to be clear and simple for visitors to use, and to meet high quality standards for fabrication, assembly and installation. They must also be robust and vandal-proof. Similarly, directional pedestrian signs are required at Jewish cemeteries and mass grave sites in western Ukraine. These typically follow the national standard for sign size, corner radii and arrow shape, but replace the standard blue coloring with a symbol that represents Jewish heritage (such as rounded headstone silhouette or the common Hebrew epitaph abbreviation “Here Lies”). Other types of informational signs also need to be developed and incorporated into projects.

A cemetery is a manmade landscape that contains the burial grounds of deceased people. It may contain graves, memorials or plaques.

A graveyard can tell us much about the past including a region’s ethnicities, lifestyles and historical events. Acute observation and careful detective work can reveal clues such as names, dates, designs and inscriptions on grave markers.

Definition

A cemetery (also known as a graveyard or burial ground) is land set aside for the interment of dead people. A cemetery may be designed to reflect the religion, culture, beliefs and habits of the buried individuals.

The term graveyard tends to evoke images of old churchyards with older tombstones scattered about in a disorganized manner, while cemetery suggests something much larger and more modern. This is because cemetery became a common name when the need for new burial grounds outside of churches was needed due to church graveyards filling up.

Modern cemeteries typically provide for the sale of physical burial rights (plots, crypts or niches), the opening and closing of graves and the ongoing maintenance of the cemetery property. They also offer a variety of services for the memorialization of the deceased through monuments, headstones and markers. Many also have a columbaria wall which provides for the inurnment of cremated remains. Depending on the cemetery, these can be quite elaborate in design and expensive.

History

As population growth accelerated church graveyards filled up. New independent sites called cemeteries were established a bit away from town or city centers to allow for more burials.

The emergence of the rural cemetery movement in America around 1831 also contributed to changes at many cemeteries. This was a time when the concept of state- rather than church- controlled cemeteries took hold.

Graves were marked more and more with permanent memorialization, which included the name of the deceased as well as a symbol or phrase of remembrance. This was often in the form of a rose, for example.

Historically, cemetery grounds have been considered holy ground. This may have had to do with religious beliefs or the idea that a soul was leaving the body for the afterlife. Many people also believed that the spirits of the dead hung out in the cemetery, and they could be seen at night time roaming the grounds. Superstition and legend also surrounded graveyards as being places where sorcerers and witches went to get skulls and bones for their spells.

Locations

The location of a cemetery tells you a lot about the culture that built it. For example, in the early American colonies, people often bought land specifically to have it be their family’s cemetery. This was based on the widespread belief that ties of kinship continue beyond death.

The shape and design of tombstones are also clues to the history of a cemetery. Many tombstones have inscriptions that reveal the names and dates of those interred in a particular graveyard.

To physically manage the space used by burial plots, and to record their locations in the burial register, most cemeteries have a systematic layout of grave sites in rows or sections. This information is usually displayed on a cemetery burial plot map, which helps both the cemetery staff and those trying to locate a specific grave within the cemetery.

Types

When a person dies, they can be interred in one of the 4 main types of cemetery. These include public cemeteries, private cemeteries, family cemeteries and mass graves. Public cemeteries are typically owned by a municipality and have plots that are available to the general public for purchase. They also offer more services than private cemeteries.

Family cemetery: This type of cemetery has small areas for families to be buried together. These may have a single headstone with the family name engraved on it to mark the area and then smaller headstones for each individual member of the family that is buried there.

Churchyard cemetery: This type of cemetery is associated with a church and was historically reserved for members of the congregation. These are generally not as large as the garden cemetery. The term cemetery is the modern word used to describe this type of burial ground, but the older word is still sometimes used, especially in Europe where churchyards are often very full.

The aptly named Memorial Park is the site of a collection of monuments dedicated to all men and women from Douglas County who served in the armed forces. It is framed by an open green hill designed for relaxation and play.

Cultural landscape research revealed an original ovoid formal path on the east side of the park. This inspired the design of a high loose canopy, grass for passive recreation and woodland walks framed by concentric elliptical paths.

What is a Memorial Park?

Memorial parks are a more recent type of cemetery that focuses on preserving the natural beauty of its surroundings. They use dignified flat flush monuments lying on landscaped plots and are surrounded by man made water fountains, gardens and flowering beds. Unlike traditional cemeteries, which often have upright monuments, memorial parks make it easy for people to walk around and enjoy the beauty of the place.

These facilities allow for a more open and uplifting setting where families can come together and celebrate life rather than mourn death. This helps the grieving process and provides a more serene environment for reflection.

A memorial park is also a great choice for those who want to be buried in a beautiful natural setting. This is a much more peaceful option than a traditional cemetery, and it can also help to prevent the degradation of the surrounding environment. This is particularly important in areas where the graveyard is surrounded by buildings or other forms of pollution.

Memorial Parks are a type of cemetery.

A memorial park is a type of cemetery that provides a more natural setting in which to honor loved ones who have passed away. They offer a more extensive range of options for families than traditional cemeteries, including the choice of graves and niches as well as urn burials. They are also more likely to be designed and operated by private institutions or companies.

The grounds of a memorial park are generally more beautifully landscaped and open than traditional cemeteries. Dignified flat engraved markers are laid out in carefully planned plots in an environment that is both serene and welcoming to family members and visitors.

The park-like atmosphere of a memorial park is a welcome change from the more clinical feel of traditional cemeteries. It sets the tone for services that are less about mourning and more about celebrating a life well lived. The parks often feature a variety of landscape features such as man-made water fountains, shade trees and flowering gardens.

Memorial Parks are a place to remember.

Memorial parks are an attractive and relaxing setting where people can gather to remember the lives of those who have passed. These parks are designed to be aesthetically pleasing, with a variety of features including man made water fountains, various types of trees that provide shade and beauty, and gardens that are adorned with colorful flowering plants.

Many memorial parks also incorporate technology into their design. Using advanced software, memorial parks can allow families to set up a page where they can upload their loved one’s obituary, memories, and life story. This information can then be shared with family and friends.

The Alliance Memorial Park Project Committee is working to place monuments at the cemetery in honor of veterans from each conflict America has been involved with. The campaign is being spearheaded by Alliance Mayor Alan Andreani and Sid Zufall, a member of the city’s Hometown Heroes Committee. Donations by check can be sent to the Greater Alliance Foundation with “Memorial Parks Monument” written on the memo line.

Memorial Parks are a place to celebrate.

Memorial parks have open, beautifully landscaped settings that create a backdrop for services that are less about mourning and more about life celebration. These expansive and inviting spaces set people at ease, making it easy for families to form new traditions of life-long gatherings. The design and layout of these sites are carefully planned with variations in elegant mausoleum designs and a wide range of trees, shrubs, flowers and other plantings.

The Village of Mineola’s Memorial Park honors all those who served our nation and was the site of one of Long Island’s most beautiful September 11th memorials. It also houses a Veterans Memorial, as well as a Memorial Park Pool and Complex.

It’s also a great place to bring your tuchos for some Tappan Zee gazing, or just hang out with the fam for an afternoon. The best part is that it almost always seems open, and the lights stay on even after sundown.

The funeral industry is tightly regulated and is subject to numerous rules and regulations. Many of these are aimed at promoting consumer protection and safety.

The Rule requires you to give consumers your General Price List (GPL) and other important disclosures. You also must offer a non-declinable basic services fee that covers the principal professional services of your staff and funeral directors.

Licensing requirements

The Division establishes qualifications for professions and occupations in the death care industry, oversees licensed funeral directors and embalmers, regulates preneed sales and other death care-related activities, and conducts investigations of consumer/provider complaints. It also provides licensure and registration to funeral firms, licenses cemeteries and their grounds, and inspects mortuary schools and their facilities.

Licensing requirements vary from state to state, and can also differ for funeral directors and embalmers. These requirements include education, training, and experience. Some states also require specific courses, and some may even require an apprenticeship to be a funeral director or embalmer.

Funeral providers are defined as any person who markets both funeral goods and services. The Rule requires that all funeral providers give out a General Price List to any consumer who requests it. This is required whether you discuss prices and arrangements face-to-face or over the telephone or through mail. Some funeral providers enter into agreements with government agencies to offer special package funeral arrangements to indigent persons (or other persons entitled to a government benefit). You must still follow the Rule and provide a GPL to these qualifying consumers, however.

Education requirements

In order to become a funeral director, an individual must complete a mortuary college course. This requires two years of academic work and a one-year internship with a funeral home. A person must also pass a state exam to become licensed.

In addition to mortuary science courses, many programs require general education classes that help prepare students for the responsibilities of running a business and communicating with the bereaved. Some colleges also offer scholarships to high school students who are interested in becoming morticians.

The requirements for obtaining a license as a mortician vary from state to state, but the minimum requirement is an associate degree in mortuary science or funeral service. A program accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education is a good option, and the organization offers scholarships to students in its programs. Other sources of financial assistance include local, state and national funeral director associations. In addition, a student can apply for the federally funded Pell Grant to help cover tuition costs.

Experience requirements

The funeral service profession is not for everyone. However, it can be a rewarding career for those who enjoy helping people through difficult times. High school students who are interested in a career as morticians or funeral directors should consider gaining experience by working at a local mortuary or completing an apprenticeship. These opportunities can help prepare them for the National Board Examination and give them the hands-on training they need to succeed in their careers.

A funeral director must have business acumen and be able to handle multiple tasks at once. They also must have excellent interpersonal skills and be able to handle stressful situations with grace. In addition, they must be able to provide their clients with a variety of options and answer questions about costs and funeral planning.

In order to become a licensed funeral director in New Jersey, you must meet the following requirements: Complete an American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) accredited mortuary college program and pass a state and national board exam. You must also complete an apprenticeship and have a minimum of one year of experience in a licensed funeral establishment.

Fees

A funeral is a stressful time for families, and the costs associated with a funeral can add up quickly. By understanding the fees associated with funerals, you can make informed decisions that align with your budget and wishes.

The Funeral Rule requires that you offer a General Price List to consumers who request it, whether they are making pre-need or at-need arrangements. This includes people who call or write to inquire about your services or visit your facility.

This fee should cover services that are common to virtually all forms of disposition or arrangement that you offer, such as conducting an arrangements conference, acquiring necessary permits and death certificates, preparing notices, sheltering the remains, and coordinating the funeral ceremony with a cemetery or crematory. It does not include charges for optional goods or services such as a casket, outer burial container, or memorial service.

The Rule requires that you inform consumers of the cost of a casket or other containers and whether embalming is required. You must also disclose if cash advance items are refundable, discounted, or rebated by the supplier.

When a loved one dies, families are often confronted with dozens of decisions under great emotional duress. These decisions include whether the deceased will be buried or cremated, and the type of funeral service to be held.

The Board licenses and regulates funeral establishments, funeral directors, embalmers and apprentice embalmers; funeral service interns; cemetery brokers, salespersons and managers; and crematory establishments. The Board also investigates complaints against these professionals.

Licensing

The Board regulates the licensing of Funeral Directors, funeral establishments and cremation establishments and investigates complaints against them. The Board also provides educational opportunities and promotes professional standards through its rules and regulations. For more information, select Laws & Regulations from the menu on the left.

If you have a question or need assistance, please contact the Board office. It is recommended that you call before you visit, so that we may be able to assist you at the time of your arrival.

Beware of impersonators claiming to represent the Board. These individuals often communicate via phone and demand personal information or payment of fines. The Board has issued a warning about these individuals and their actions. Access the warning here. The Board has updated its license lookup feature and now offers it in real time. This service is free to the public and is available 24/7. You can check a funeral director or embalmer’s license by visiting our License Lookup page.

Education

Those interested in entering the funeral service profession must have a strong desire to help people at one of the most emotional times of their lives. They must also feel comfortable interacting with grieving families, understand the meaning of death and be willing to work an unpredictable schedule including nights, weekends and holidays.

Education programs are available at colleges and universities across the nation. Students in these programs learn the technical skills required in the funeral profession such as embalming, restorative art, funeral directing and the psychology of grief. They must pass national and state licensure exams before they can work in a funeral establishment.

The ABFSE is the only nationally recognized accrediting agency for college and university programs in mortuary science and funeral service education. Students who graduate from an accredited program can apply to take the National Board Examination sponsored by the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards. The Examination is composed of two sections: the arts and sciences.

Training

The funeral industry is highly regulated and requires specialized training and certification. Students seeking to become funeral directors, embalmers or undertakers should contact their state licensing boards for education and licensing requirements.

The Board establishes qualifications for professions and occupations involved in death care, licenses establishments, funeral homes, embalming services and reduction facilities, and oversees the sale of preneed funeral arrangements and cemetery improvements and grounds. It also regulates funeral directors, embalmers, apprentices, and mortuary students and ensures consumer protection through proactive education and consistent interpretation and enforcement of the laws governing the industry.

Consumers shopping for a funeral have many decisions to make, particularly when choosing a casket. To assist consumers, the FTC has issued new guidance to help them make informed choices.

Experience

The funeral industry requires people with strong business acumen, because funeral homes often manage their own operations in addition to coordinating wakes and funerals. They must also be capable of handling large volumes of customers under stressful circumstances, including those who are grieving and often time-constrained.

In addition, they must provide information to help consumers choose the products and services they want for their deceased loved ones. This includes describing any product or service that is required by state law (such as embalming under specified conditions) and listing the price of any cash advance items such as flowers, obituary notices, pallbearer or clergy honoraria.

Many funeral service workers have interests in the Helping, Persuading and Organizing interest areas of the Holland Code framework. These characteristics help them to work well with the grieving public, which is one reason why funeral homes often offer grief support for survivors. Additionally, they must have the critical thinking skills necessary to assess a family’s wishes and make appropriate recommendations.

The death of a loved one can be a difficult thing to deal with. The body will need to be retrieved, transported and prepared for burial or cremation.

A mortuary is a department within a hospital that specializes in storing the bodies of those who have died. It also performs autopsies and embalming services.

Types

Mortuary equipment is essential for preserving the bodies of the deceased until they can be transported to funeral homes or cemeteries. It is also used in hospitals for autopsies and embalming purposes. The equipment can be classified into several types according to its function. These include trolleys, refrigeration units, cadaver lifting trolleys, autopsy platforms and equipment, dissection tables, and embalming workstations.

The global market for mortuary equipment is growing rapidly due to the high mortality rate from coronavirus, increasing hospital morgues and private morgues, and technological advancements. Many of the top players in this industry are based in North America and offer a variety of products to meet the needs of different hospitals and morgues.

The largest segment in the mortuary equipment market is refrigeration units. These units can be purchased in a range of sizes, from small units for infant cadavers to larger ones for adults. These units are also available in a number of finishes, from stainless steel to brushed brass.

Functions

A mortuary is where a dead body can be kept while awaiting identification, post-mortem examination or interment. It also houses a cold chamber where the deceased can be stored until family or funeral homes take them for burial.

Pathologists staff hospital morgues and perform autopsies to confirm the cause of death. They may also examine the organs for signs of disease progression. They can also replace natural bodily fluids with embalming liquid and add makeup, style hair and polish fingernails.

A mortician is a person who works in a mortuary and prepares bodies for memorial services and burial. They wash the body, massage it to relax the muscles and disinfect it with a solution that removes any potential germs. They can then close the eyes and mouth using a cap or with a specific type of glue. They can even use plastic ‘formers’ that go inside the mouth to give a more natural expression. They might also use a sharps container for any medical equipment that offers a piercing hazard.

Equipment

Mortuary cabinets are used to store cadavers at hospitals that are waiting for removal for burial or autopsy. They are made of stainless steel and have insulated panels to prevent the cadaver from decomposition. They also have a door that opens and closes automatically. They are available in different sizes and designs to meet the needs of hospitals.

Another piece of equipment found at a mortuary is the embalming unit. This is where the corpses are embalmed and prepared for funerals. The process involves washing the body, massaging it and closing its eyes with plastic ‘formers’ or by using special glue. Some morticians may also reconstruct the face of the deceased to give it a more natural appearance.

The equipment at a mortuary may include sharps containers, which are used to dispose of any medical items that pose a piercing risk to staff. These containers can be taken away by medical waste contractors. Depending on the facility, they may also have a geiger counter to monitor radiation levels.

Staff

Usually employed at funeral homes, morticians prepare a deceased person for his or her final resting place by embalming and cosmetically enhancing it. They also take samples of skin and fluids from the body for further analysis by the coroner or pathologist, clean up the autopsy area, and prepare reports on each case.

They arrange funeral or cremation services, meet with clients to explain pricing and options, and assist in transporting the body. They must be stoic and empathetic, as they often work with families in a very sensitive time.

A high school diploma is typically required for this position and some people choose to enroll in a funeral service or mortuary science program to learn the basics of this career and prepare for a job as an embalmer or funeral director. Those who choose this profession find it very rewarding, as they know that they can make a difference in the lives of grieving family members during this difficult time.

A graveyard is a section of land where people are buried. It’s often associated with churches, and it may be a public cemetery.

Graveyards usually have a system of organization so that graves can be found easily by friends and family members. They also usually employ skilled personnel to dig graves.

Churchyards

Churchyard is a patch of land adjoining a church, usually used as a graveyard. Not all churches have a churchyard, but most do. Churchyards are fenced areas where people can be buried when they die.

Often, they are used for the burial of people who can’t afford to be buried in a cemetery or whose religion doesn’t allow them to be buried outside the church. They can also be used for outdoor religious services such as funerals, processions and stations of the cross.

They can also be used as a space for nature and for people to explore history and heritage. For example, churchyards can be home to a rich variety of trees and plants, including some that are classed as sites of special scientific interest. Many of these have survived because churchyards generally have been managed in a different way to the rest of the countryside and are protected from chemicals that would harm them elsewhere.

Cemeteries

Unlike churchyards, cemeteries are not affiliated with any particular religion. They are typically located outside of the city or town center and may be large sprawling landscapes or smaller, more modern family plots. They are also usually independent of any church or religious organization and can therefore accommodate people from a variety of beliefs.

In many places, burial grounds have been pushed out of the urban centers to make way for housing and other development. This is often a practical necessity because traditional burials use up space and can lead to groundwater contamination from decaying matter.

Some families visit their loved ones’ graves regularly, bringing picnic blankets and bourbon bottles to share a few quiet hours. Others celebrate their deceased relatives’ lives at reunions, holiday parties, or community events. And some take vacations to see their loved ones’ final resting places, according to author Loren Rhoads. She has written a book called “199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die.” Visits to cemeteries are a growing trend, she says.

Gravestones

A gravestone, tombstone, or headstone is a stele that memorializes the deceased and may have the person’s name, birth and death dates, and other information carved into it. It can also contain funerary art, such as stone relief or sculptural figures. It is often placed over the grave of a dead person and is one of the most common forms of funerary art.

Upright stone markers are less common these days, as they tend to deteriorate and fall over with time. Many modern tombstones are flat and ground level, made from granite or bronze. Painted lettering and designs have a very limited life span on these markers.

Geologically, gravestones are a great place to study the way different rock types weather over time. Granites in particular offer a chance to examine a wide range of minerals, including crystal structure and zoning in feldspars, flow structures, and xenoliths. The fact that gneisses and migmatites split easily into thin slabs offers further clues to the rock’s origins.

Columbariums

While the terms mausoleum and columbarium may sound similar, they serve different purposes. A mausoleum is a tomb or vault designed to house casketed remains while a columbarium is built specifically to store cremated urns. Typically, the two structures are not used together in the same location.

Like many other cemetery memorials, columbarium niches can be engraved with names, dates and other personalized inscriptions. They may also have vases for flower tributes and personal mementos. The interior of the structure is often made from stone, bronze or glass. Bronze and granite are the most common materials because they offer durability and a classic appearance.

Families looking for a unique way to store their loved one’s ashes may want to consider a columbarium. While it is not a traditional resting place, many people choose this option because of its convenience and beauty. In addition, it can be more affordable than a casket burial. It is also a good choice for families who plan to visit their loved ones regularly.

Cemeteries need to make a good impression from the outset, which starts with thoughtful planning and design. A cemetery’s landscape and architecture can communicate your message through color, shape and other design elements.

Harboring lands to avoid water runoff, planting trees for their beauty and the shade they provide and transitioning asphalt roads to permeable materials can save on costly maintenance.

Master Plan

Having a well-crafted master plan will help you to navigate the future of your cemetery. It will serve as a roadmap for your entire property and ensure that you are following best practices and taking into account any potential issues.

Hilton Landmarks is widely recognized for its design and consulting expertise with cemetery projects for municipal, religious, not-for-profit and private cemeteries across the United States and Canada. Our cemetery designers are skilled in balancing a sense of place and identity with site functionality, ultimately resulting in creative built results that respect on-going maintenance costs.

We work to develop modern burial sections that incorporate high end options like family mausoleums and private estate gardens, bench estates, scatter gardens and cremation niches. We take advantage of natural features such as streams, woodlands, hills, boulder outcrops and scenic vistas. Good design adds value and can increase revenues. For example, converting asphalt roads to permeable materials saves on costly repairs, and native grasses reduce chemical runoff and eliminate the need for fertilizers.

Landscape and Architecture

Cemetery landscapes must be beautiful and calming while still meeting the needs of visitors. This may include sidewalks and wheelchair-accessible paths throughout the property. It may also include a variety of plants and trees that are suited for the climate and site conditions. Proper drainage is another consideration. Drainage systems should be designed by a professional to ensure that water is redirected away from gravesites and buildings.

Cemetery architecture has evolved over the years to meet changing lifestyles and attitudes toward death. Modern cemeteries offer options such as multi-story columbariums, which provide niches for urns at half the price of a traditional stone grave. They may also offer scatter gardens to spread ashes in a natural setting.

The LA Group can help revitalize and expand community or historic cemeteries with master planning and implementation services. This can include consulting on financial options, opportunities for funding and volunteer development. This may also include community outreach efforts to generate interest and support for a project.

Lighting

Cemeteries are unique environments that require thoughtful consideration when designing. An Architect needs to be sensitive to the delicate space and provide a design that will ensure long term sustainability and stability of the environment.

The lighting of a cemetery is an important aspect in its design and must be carefully considered to ensure that the entire site is well lit. This will help to improve safety and security and make it easier for visitors to find their way around the cemetery.

Solar lights for graves are a great alternative to candles and can be used in a variety of ways. They are also much more durable and can last a lot longer than candles. They are made of high-quality materials that can withstand harsh outdoor conditions. They can be mounted to a tombstone or other flat surface with a special adhesive. They also have a protective coating to avoid dust accumulation.

Signage

A cemetery’s signage communicates its mission and identity through directional signs, monument/headstone signage, informational maps, and other outdoor amenities. The right design shows the world what you stand for, makes people remember your brand, and helps potential customers understand if your product is right for them.

It’s also important that the Cemetery maintain its appearance by grading and ensuring proper drainage to avoid flooding and other site issues. Proper grading also helps ensure that a cemetery’s graves and monuments have enough space for expansion in the future.

The next step in the cemetery design process is to identify the types of memorialization and headstones that will be allowed on the grounds. Most cemeteries have a set of rules that govern the size, construction, and placement of memorials on their property. These restrictions may be cemetery wide or specific to a burial site. Depending on the cemetery, trained professionals like memorial counselors can assist with the memorial selection process to make sure personal expectations and specifications are met.

Cemetery is a place where people remember their deceased family members. It is a semi-public space that often has rules about how to visit and what to bring.

For example, it is not allowed to have meals in cemeteries or leave litter on the grounds. Visiting a cemetery can be emotional and overwhelming for some.

1. A Place of Remembrance

Cemeteries serve as permanent places to remember the dead. In modern society, people have a number of options for burial, including interment (burial in the ground), entombment in a mausoleum, or inurnment (placement of cremated remains in an urn). There are also memorial societies that do not operate within the State-regulated funeral industry and can be used for either interment or to hold a ceremony without the body present.

In the past, important figures were often buried inside their church walls or in ossuaries within churchyards. Today, they are most commonly buried in cemetery plots. For those who want to remember the dead in a more public way, there are cenotaphs and other monuments that can be purchased. These serve as a place to remember the deceased and help others to learn from their legacy. In addition, the constant presence of graves reminds us of the inevitable nature of death and that a person’s life is short.

2. A Place of Serenity

The word cemetery carries with it the connotation of serenity and peace. It is a place where people go to remember the dead and to reflect upon their own mortality.

When choosing a cemetery it is important to consider all of the options and services available. Then you can make decisions that are meaningful to you and your family.

Choosing a cemetery is one of the most significant financial choices you will ever make. Be sure to ask about the pricing options and be aware of any hidden fees.

Cemeteries are independent burial grounds that differ from church graveyards. They often do not have to be affiliated with a particular church and are usually larger than a churchyard to accommodate more burial plots. They got their name from the Greek work koimeterion, meaning a “sleeping place.” Unlike a graveyard, which was usually a family affair, most people today are buried in a cemetery. In fact, providing a final resting place for loved ones is still considered to be a responsibility of families in many cultures.

3. A Place to Gather

In certain times of the year, when the veil between our world and that of the twilight world is particularly thin, spirit activity can be quite intense at a cemetery. This is why members of pagan communities often schedule their most auspicious gatherings at a cemetery at the winter, summer, and spring solstices or autumn equinoxes.

Take a close look at the markers. Are they fancy or plain, made from local or imported materials, crude or finely worked? How do their designs and materials reflect the social status of the people buried there?

Pay attention to how the people buried in a graveyard were related to one another. Look for families or groups buried together, military service, fraternal organizations (Odd Fellows, Masons, Elks), or other groups and associations. This can reveal much about the culture and history of the place. Remember that a cemetery is also a unique cultural landscape that deserves to be preserved.

4. A Place to Link Your Community

Cemeteries are an important part of the community, providing a place for families to gather, reminisce and communicate with loved ones who have passed. They also help to preserve the history of a local area.

Despite their often negative portrayal in horror movies, cemeteries can be places of community connection and fun. One example is Laurel Hill Cemetery, which hosts an annual Cinema in the Cemetery event where they show a popular bad horror movie on the grounds. It has become a popular way to reach a new audience and get people to come into the cemetery.

Across England, almost every local authority now has a cemetery, although many do not accept new burials. The policy picture for these spaces is fragmented and inconsistent, with little oversight or consistency. They make up around 4% of urban green space, but offer vital doorstep and neighbourhood access for many communities. We explore their (potential) ecosystem services in more detail, drawing on previous international research and a detailed case study of Bristol’s cemeteries.

A memorial park differs from traditional cemeteries by using flat bronze markers to memorialize a grave. They also tend to have more park-like landscaped grounds and include sculpture, statuary and fountains to create an atmosphere of natural beauty and peace for quiet meditation.

An engraved bronze marker paired with a polished granite base is a beautiful way to memorialize your loved one. The cemetery offers many personalization options to suit your family’s needs.

The Gold Star Monument

The Gold Star Monument in memorial park is a flat, sculptured bronze plaque that lies level with the ground. Unlike traditional cemeteries, which have upright tombstones, memorial parks use similar flat plaques that blend into the landscape rather than occupy a prominent position in the cemetery’s primary design. They often include large areas of grass, trees, flowering beds and gardens, as well as central water or statuary features.

The monument is a tribute to all members of the family, including spouses, parents, children, stepchildren, adopted children, brothers, sisters, half-brothers and half-sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, who have lost a loved one serving in the military. It was commissioned by the Gold Star Families Memorial Foundation and sponsored by the Major Brent Taylor Foundation to honor the families of the fallen service members who have died in military service.

When the name of her brother was spoken at the unveiling of a Gold Star monument in Stamford’s Memorial Park, Patricia Parry cried. She had hoped that the ceremony would give her family a place to remember.

The Vietnam War Monument

The centerpiece of the park is the Vietnam War Monument, a two-acre site dominated by two black granite walls engraved with names of service members who died in South East Asia during the war. The names are arranged so that the first and last name at each end of the wall appear to meet in the center. This is meant to symbolize that the war ended where it began, with a sense of completion.

Maya Lin’s minimal design won a nationwide competition sponsored by the Veterans Memorial Fund, but her decision to forgo a figurative heroic sculpture in favor of the walls caused controversy. Ultimately, a bronze figurative statue designed by Frederick Hart was added to the memorial as a compromise.

The monument also features walkways of bricks, engraved with veterans’ names and branch of service. Those who wish to honor a veteran can purchase a brick in the memorial park’s office. The inner circle of bricks is reserved for veterans who served during the Vietnam War, and the outer for veterans of other wars or conflicts or anyone wishing to show their respect and support.

The Bald Eagle Statue

The bald eagle is an American symbol. It flies higher and sees more clearly than other birds. The eagle also represents strength, courage and freedom.

The memorial honors those who died serving their country. The monument consists of an obelisk base covered with a mosaic of local stones. A bald eagle is perched atop the obelisk. Below the eagle are five jet black granite tablets etched with each branch of the military service. Walkways of bricks engraved with veterans names, branch and service dates radiate from the memorial’s base.

A statue of a bald eagle carries an unfurled American flag in this monument to the brave men and women who served their country. The statue stands on a triangular site that was the former St. Vincent’s Hospital campus. The site was designed through a community review process. The monument was dedicated on October 21, 1982. The dedication ceremony was attended by representatives of the Norwegian Navy and Merchant Marine.

The Memorial Arch

Dedicated in 1917, this arch honors General George Washington and the Continental Army for their survival at Valley Forge, the military camp 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia where the Continental troops spent the winter of 1777-78 during the American Revolutionary War. Starvation, disease, and malnutrition caused the death of more than 2,500 soldiers.

Its styles are meant to mirror a simplified version of the Triumphal Arch of Titus in Rome that commemorated the defeat of the Roman Emperor in A.D. 70. Keller reworked previous designs to accommodate practical exigencies. For example, rather than constructing the arch at both ends of the Ford Street bridge as others had proposed, he placed it on one end to minimize engineering expenses.

The arch is adorned with a classical sculptured frieze and two medieval towers joined by a Gothic arch. Its soaring height and massive presence make it one of the most recognizable monuments in the city. Its gleaming bronze eagle has a story of its own; it was pushed off its perch in 1988 by three young vandals and required substantial repairs.