Beech Grove Cemetery, Muncie Indiana

Date added: October 04, 2024

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Indiana
Cemetery

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Muncie, or Munseytown as it was then known, was founded in the mid-1820s on land donated by Goldsmith C. Gilbert, Lemuel Jackson and William Brown. Although it was named the Delaware County seat soon thereafter, the new settlement grew slowly in its early years and was not incorporated as a town until 1854. Eleven years later, in 1865, Muncie was incorporated as a city. In 1876 an area farmer drilling a well encountered a foul smell and a strange rumbling sound. The hole, popularly believed to lead to Hell, was quickly covered and virtually forgotten. Ten years later, however, it was realized that the hole had actually contained natural gas, and east central Indiana's "gas boom" was underway. For the next fifteen years the gas wells burned constantly, many industries such as the Ball Brothers' glass company were lured to town by the virtually free fuel, and Muncie became a major manufacturing center. By 1901, however, the seemingly inexhaustible gas resources had been almost completely depleted. Many of the factories left the area. Enough remained, however, to provide an industrial base for the city's continued, but much slower, growth. The decade from 1910 to 1920 also was a period of growth for Muncie and Delaware County, this time centered around an expanding automobile industry and the manufacturing demands of World War I. From a town of approximately six thousand residents in 1885, Muncie almost doubled in size in the next five years. By 1920 the city had almost thirty-five thousand citizens. Some of this growth can be attributed to the annexation of what had previously been independent suburbs.

Beech Grove existed as a publicly-owned burial prior to Muncie being incorporated as a city, and its history is inextricably linked to the city's. The first recorded public cemetery in Muncie was located in the east end of town, on the north side of Main Street, east of Beacon Street. The second was on the north side of Adams Street, west of Franklin Street, and was composed of approximately two city lots. As the community grew, however, the size of both of these in-town sites proved to be inadequate. To alleviate this problem, the trustees of Munseytown purchased one and one-half acres on the outskirts of town from Moses Eby in 1841. The site had been used as a burial ground by Delaware Indians who had previously lived in the area, and was known as Beech Knoll because of the beech trees which lined the White River there. Many of the bodies which had been interred in existing cemeteries were moved to Beech Grove; therefore, a few of the tombstones predate 1841.

Beginning in 1858, additional land was purchased to the south, west, and east of the 1841 lot, primarily in small parcels of less than ten acres. In 1902 the largest addition was made with the acquisition of fifty-one acres of the John Galbraith farm, southwest of the original cemetery boundaries. Six additional city lots were added in 1906, bringing the cemetery to its current boundaries. (In the 1970s, however, a small parcel west of Nichols Avenue was sold by the cemetery.) In the late 1930s the White River, which forms the northwest border of the cemetery, was straightened as part of a WPA project and levees were constructed along its banks. This project allowed the reclamation of approximately twenty acres of cemetery property which had previously been too swampy to use for burial purposes.

Throughout its existence, Beech Grove has been municipally owned and operated by the city government. Prior to April 1905, the cemetery was administered by a Cemetery Committee of the City Council. In that year, however, the City Council adopted an ordinance that established a five-member Board of Trustees charged with full control of the cemetery. The first Board was composed of five of Muncie's leading citizens: George McCulloch, C.H. Over, Edward Tuhey, L.W. Cates, and W.A. Petty. This five-trustee system is still in use at Beech Grove.

The earliest burial places in the United States were generally found in churchyards or public greens. Because of their small, in-town locations, these graveyards were limited in the number of people who could be interred there, and in the amount of landscaping or other ornamentation that could be included. In the early nineteenth century, however, people began to recognize the need for larger cemeteries located farther away from the town centers, for health, space and aesthetic reasons. These rural cemeteries featured diverse landscapes and many elements of the picturesque style as defined by Andrew Jackson Downing. Characteristics of the style are irregular lines, abrupt and broken surfaces, natural and wild plant growth, and rustic buildings in the Gothic, Old English, Italian Villa or Swiss Cottage style. The first American cemetery which followed these principles was Mount Auburn, which was established outside Boston in 1831. This style dominated cemetery design for a number of years, and large rural cemeteries were laid out on the outskirts of most of America's larger cities. Included among these are Laurel Hill in Philadelphia (1836), Green-Wood in Brooklyn (1838), Graceland in Chicago (1860), and Crown Hill in Indianapolis (1864).

The next major development in cemetery design was that of the landscape lawn plan in the mid-1850s. Created by Adolph Strauch, superintendent of Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, this new design was a reaction against the overcrowding and showiness found in many rural cemeteries. In older rural cemeteries, the profusion of large, ornate monuments had detracted from the natural landscape, and made maintenance very difficult. Strauch's plan responded to this by opening the landscape and emphasizing natural terrain features rather than artificial monuments. Families were encouraged to erect a single large family marker and to keep individual markers to a minimum. Groupings of trees and shrubs were also minimized, and were used primarily to frame open spaces. This new style represented a move away from the picturesque, and toward the beautiful. According to Andrew Jackson Downing, the beautiful was characterized by flowing curves, soft surfaces, luxuriant vegetation, and buildings in one of the classical modes. In the beautiful, nature had been subdued by man and art.

Another development in nineteenth-century cemetery design was that of the national cemeteries. During the Civil War, the need arose to quickly bury large numbers of military casualties, many of whom had originally been interred in temporary battlefield graves. The solution was the establishment of a number of national cemeteries across the country. The design of these cemeteries was based primarily on the ideas of simplicity and democracy: to eliminate competition and ostentation, all the grave markers were simple, identical and provided by the government. The stones were laid in neat rows, and little landscaping was done around them. As opposed to the picturesque, where the grandeur and power of the rugged landscape was designed to awe the observer, the rows of identical monuments in a military cemetery were intended to evoke feelings of solemnity and respect.

Along with the changing design of the American cemetery through the nineteenth century, the role of the cemetery also underwent a cycle of changes. In the earliest American cemeteries, the emphasis was on function; graveyards were used primarily as resting places for the dead and occasionally as livestock grazing areas. Life was difficult, and survivors had little time for pomp or sentimentality about death. Later, rural cemeteries such as Mount Auburn, with their spaciousness, diverse landscape, and natural feel, offered a welcome contrast to noisy, overcrowded Victorian cities. In addition to this sense of escape, the elaborate mausolea and grave markers erected on many lots in rural cemeteries became showcases for the social or economic standing of the owners and a magnet for visitors. The relative security and prosperity of the Victorian era afforded the opportunity for survivors to have a sentimental, romantic view of death. Also during this period, the families of those interred in the cemetery were responsible for the care and decoration of the lot. These factors, and the lack of public parks, encouraged the active use of the cemetery by the living, and it quickly became a favorite spot for strolling, picnicking, and other recreational activities. Many cemeteries were also the site of elaborate annual Independence Day and Memorial Day celebrations.

With the advent of the landscape lawn plan and its subsequent popularity, the role of the cemetery began to change. The new philosophy increased the power of the superintendent, and lessened the participation of the family in general upkeep and beautification of the plots. The effect of this was to lessen the amount of time that a family would need to spend at the cemetery, and helped make it seem more distant and foreign from everyday experience. At approximately the same time, construction began on Central Park in New York City, and with it a new era. In most large cities public parks were subsequently laid out which offered the same natural environment and recreational opportunities as the rural cemetery, but in a more convenient urban location and without the association with death. Later developments in cemetery design and administration, such as the memorial garden, further isolated the family from contact with the deceased. Gradually the cemetery again became primarily a burial ground, with few other uses or associations.

Beech Grove illustrates many of these trends, both in the design and in the role of the cemetery. The earliest sections, found in the northeast corner, are laid out in a grid plan typical of many early cemeteries, and contain little landscaping. Later sections exhibit the rolling hills, winding roads and groups of trees characteristic of picturesque design, as this style gradually reached Muncie. Two of the most significant examples of nineteenth-century picturesque cemetery design were Woodlawn and Green-Wood in New York City. Beech Grove records indicate that Superintendent Crabbs visited both of these in 1910, and incorporated elements of their designs into that of Beech Grove. The area of the cemetery south of the railroad tracks, which was laid out in 1913, shows this influence most clearly. The G.A.R. and American Legion sections exhibit the typical design of a military cemetery developed in the national cemeteries of the Civil War era.

Like many cemeteries, Beech Grove was a popular recreational area in the mid- to late-nineteenth century, filled with people strolling, picnicking, and decorating graves. Large ceremonies were held there on Memorial Day and Independence Day, and local political parties often held rallies there. The 1913 plan of the cemetery even indicates a Speaker's Stump, located in Section Single Grave A. Around the turn of the century, however, this attitude began to change. This shift can be seen in a 1906 cemetery booklet which states on page eight that, "neither should a cemetery be converted into a park. While making Beech Grove as pretty as we can, at the same time we have tried to retain, in its appearance, all the solemnity of such sacred ground." In this same booklet, rules are also set forth prohibiting refreshments on cemetery grounds and requiring the permission of the superintendent for any plantings. The shift away from the use of the cemetery as a recreation area is also seen in the building of a series of public parks in Muncie in the early 1900s, with Oscar Crabbs acting simultaneously as Parks Superintendent and Superintendent of Beech Grove.

The list of those interred in Beech Grove is impressive, reflecting not only local persons and events, but also those of national and international significance. Included among its occupants are Goldsmith C. Gilbert, founder of Muncie; all five of the Ball brothers of glass-making fame; Otto Carmichael, prominent journalist and early member of the National Press Club; and painter J. Ottis Adams, of the Indiana Impressionist school. Veterans of every war from the American Revolution to Vietnam are buried at the cemetery, including both Union and Confederate dead from the Civil War.

Site Description

Beech Grove Cemetery is located on the near west side of Muncie, Indiana, on the northwest side of State Road 32, which is called Kilgore Avenue as it runs through the city. The cemetery consists of approximately one hundred and five acres along the White River and includes seventy platted burial sections. The cemetery's landscape is varied, including flat open areas, rolling hills, and naturalistic groupings of trees and shrubs. This landscape, the Gothic Revival style used for the main gate and administration building, and the varied mausolea and grave markers are all typical of the picturesque cemetery of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. The Gothic Revival cemetery chapel, built circa 1910 and razed in 1955 after a fire, also contributed to the unity of design, and is the only architectural element which is no longer extant.

The main entrance to Beech Grove Cemetery, located on Kilgore Avenue, is marked by a large stone Gothic Revival-style gate. The administration building is located just inside and to the west of the gate. Behind the administration building is a section known as the "G.A.R." (Grand Army of the Republic), which is reserved for the burial of veterans, primarily of the Civil and Spanish-American wars. Several military artifacts are found in this section in addition to the stones, including a plaque made from the U.S.S. Maine battleship, a torpedo, and a cannonball. Lakeside Drive, the primary north-south roadway through the cemetery, runs past the front of the administration building and continues to the rear of the cemetery, where it terminates in front of the maintenance barns. The road is flanked by ornate mausolea which serve as the resting places of many of Muncie's leading families. The mausolea are set atop gentle slopes. The extreme northeastern portion of the cemetery is known as the "Old Ground" and contains the original land and earliest graves. According to cemetery records, the northern edge of the Old Ground was reserved for the burial of African Americans, and several other of the early sections were similarly segregated. South of this area is the "Old Part," which is slightly newer and feature's much of the cemetery's outstanding funerary sculpture. A section just south of Section F is reserved for members of the Jewish faith, and the Elks Lodge owns a small plot in section A. Most of the streets and plots in this area of the cemetery are laid out in a grid, other than section B, in which the plots form a spiral pattern. Overall, the landscape here is flat to gently rolling, with some scattered trees and shrubs.

The cemetery is cut roughly in half by the Norfolk and Southern railroad tracks (formerly the Nickel Plate railroad), and the only access between the two sections is via an underpass located just north of Section 22. Prior to the construction of the underpass (around 1940), traffic passed over the tracks through cast iron gates located on both sides of the tracks. The gates remain intact and are located just south of sections F and Legion 1.

In the southern half of the cemetery, the roads are more winding, the terrain is more rolling, and the trees are more numerous than in the northern section described above. Here the monuments are generally smaller, less distinctive, and somewhat secondary to the landscape. Three narrow sections along the railroad tracks are owned by the American Legion and reserved for the burial of veterans. A Catholic area in Section I is marked by a statue of "Our Lady of Fatima." A large, public, wall-style mausoleum was built in 1974 and is located in Section O. An unplatted section west of the underpass is reserved for the burial of indigent persons. Earlier in Beech Grove's history, paupers' graves had been scattered throughout various sections, particularly in Sections C and 17, and in the less desirable graves closest to the river.

The Gothic Revival-style main gate is one of the most striking features of Beech Grove Cemetery. Sixty-five feet tall at its central point, the gate provides three entrances to the cemetery: a twenty-two-foot wide central passage for vehicular traffic, and two flanking six-foot-wide pedestrian entrances. The three-pointed arches that contain these openings are all topped with ornate acanthus-leaf finials, and above the central passage is a stone nameplate that reads "BEECH GROVE 1904". The gate is constructed of rough, multi-color granite boulders, some of which were collected from the cemetery grounds, and trimmed in buff-colored Indiana limestone. The arches are separated by heavy stone buttresses, and cast iron gates can be used to close each of the entrances. The gate was designed by well-known Fort Wayne, Indiana architect Marshall Mahurin, and was completed in 1904. Cemetery superintendent Oscar Wells Crabbs oversaw the construction of the gate, and his name is inscribed on a plaque inside the west arch, along with those of cemetery committee members L.W. Cates, W.A. Petty, and W.F. White. The gate is unchanged from its historic appearance.

Adjoining both sides of the gate is a stone and cast iron fence which runs along Kilgore Avenue. Continuing the design of the main gate, the stones used for the posts are large, rough granite boulders and the trim is limestone. Between these supports are one-hundred-foot sections with square cast iron pickets set atop a low granite and limestone base. The fence was designed by prominent Muncie architect Cuno Kibele, and was completed in 1927. A few of the sections have suffered some minor damage from weathering and auto accidents, but otherwise the fence is intact.

The administration building is located just west of the main gate and continues the Gothic Revival style. It was built from 1921-1923, and like the fence was designed by Cuno Kibele. The building, which is cruciform in plan, is constructed of granite boulders with limestone trim. Although it was built more than fifteen years after the gate, the unity of style and material makes them appear to have been constructed together. This single-story building features a cross-gabled roof covered in Mission tile and drained by copper gutters. The east or primary facade faces Lakeside Drive, and features as its most prominent element a crenelated porte-cochere with massive piers. North of the porte-cochere on this elevation is a row of three ten-over-one double-hung windows with stone drip molds. A matching window is located beneath the porte-cochere, as is a pair of modern glass and steel doors. Topped by a fixed transom, these doors replaced the original oak double doors in 1974. A band of limestone runs around the building beneath the windows, forming a continuous sill. A small, five-pane window in a pointed arch shape is located in the cross gable on this elevation. Similar openings are found in the building's other cross gables, although the ones on the north and south facades are larger and have ten-pane windows, and on the west side the opening contains horizontal wooden louvers rather than glass. The north facade is the simplest, and contains only a row of five six-over-one windows under a single drip mold. Two single-pane basement windows with large limestone lintels are also visible on this facade, and three are found on the east elevation. The rear of the building faces west and features groups of six-over-one and four-over-one windows set under common stone hood molds. The south facade has the most noticeable exterior alteration; in 1974, the porch was enclosed to provide a larger chapel area. This crenelated porch, which is similar to but smaller than the porte-cochere on the east facade, now has large fixed windows on the south and west sides, and a modern glass and steel door on the east. The only other significant exterior alteration to the administration building is the 1974 replacement of the wood-framed windows with similar aluminum models throughout.

The interior of the administration building originally contained a storage vault, two lavatories, a garage, and three large rooms: the Board of Trustees meeting room, an office, and a waiting room. The Trustees' meeting room was located in the north end of the building and originally featured a cork floor, partially frescoed walls, and marble wainscoting. Just south of the meeting room was the main office, also with a cork floor and marble wainscoting. South of the office was the waiting room, or "rest room" as it was then known. It had a tile floor and a frescoed design around the top of the walls. Two brass grilles in the north wall allowed communication with people in the office. At the southern end of the administration building was an open porch. To the west of the aforementioned rooms was the superintendent's garage, which had a cement floor and wood paneled ceiling, as well as cabinets for the temporary storage of corpses.

The administration building was renovated in 1974 and redecorated in 1991. Few of its original interior features are visible today, although many have been retained under later additions. For example, in the Board of Trustees room, which is now used as the main office, the cork floor was carpeted, the frescoes were painted over, and the original chandeliers were removed during the 1974 renovation. Only the marble wainscoting and the brass wall sconces remain. The original office, which is now used as the superintendent's office, retains its marble wainscoting. The cork floor, however, has been covered with carpet, and a wall has been added to create a small hallway between the office and chapel. The waiting room, which is now the seating area for the chapel, has had a dropped ceiling and carpeting installed. The brass communication grilles have been removed. The ceremony area for the fifty-seat chapel is located in what formerly was the open porch. Enclosed in 1974, it now has carpet, a dropped ceiling, and exposed stone walls. The board room has been moved to what originally was the garage. Here, the concrete floor was carpeted, a dropped ceiling was installed, and the cabinets were removed. Also, the exterior oak door and sidelights from the south end of the waiting room were relocated to the garage and installed in place of the garage door.

The private mausolea in Beech Grove Cemetery represents a variety of architectural styles. Their construction during the first decades of the twentieth century coincides with a prosperous time in Muncie's history, and also when many of the individuals who had become rich during Muncie's 1880s "gas boom" were aging and dying. The earliest mausoleum belongs to C.H. Over and was built in 1904 in the Classical Revival style. The tomb, which is made of large limestone blocks, features on its main facade a row of four Ionic columns topped by a triangular pediment with a floral design in its tympanum. Some other particularly notable mausolea are those built for William Bell Stewart, Edmund Ball and J.M. Maring. The Stewart mausoleum (circa 1925) is an excellent representative of the Art Moderne style. It features smooth, polychromatic granite walls with rounded corners, and an elegant arched entrance with metal floral medallions. Edmund Ball's mausoleum (circa 1911) was built in the Egyptian Revival style and features the flared columns and cubic form typical of the style. The corners of the structure are marked by engaged pylons. J.M. Maring's Greek Revival-style mausoleum was built in 1910-11. It is faced in smooth granite, with a triangular pediment and square engaged Doric columns which mark the corners of the structure. In total, there are seventeen mausolea designed in the Greek Revival, Art Deco, Sullivanesque, Romanesque Revival, Classical Revival, Art Moderne, and Exotic Revival styles. Most are concentrated in the area along Lakeside Drive known as "Mausoleum Row," although a few are farther to the west or north.

Like the mausolea, the significant statuary and grave markers found in Beech Grove Cemetery are all of high quality, but vary in design. Some of the markers included in this group are obelisks, tree stumps, a bench, and various statues of women and angels. Most are located in the northeast portions of the cemetery known as the "Old Ground" and the "Old Part". Among the most noteworthy are those belonging to the Charman family, F.A. Preston, and the Hutchings family. The Charmans' (c.1870) is notable for its material, which is cast metal rather than stone, which is predominant in the cemetery. Set on a concrete base, the monument tapers upward in five square layers and is topped by an urn. Decorative and symbolic elements, including an anchor, a wreath, a pointing finger and a flag, are cast in relief around the top layers. The Preston marker (c.1880) is distinguished by its statue of a standing woman clutching a cross, her eyes turned heavenward. The piece is skillfully executed and highly representative of Victorian funerary art. Carved on the base is "NE Granite Works, Hartford, CT". This is one of the few early markers in Beech Grove upon which the manufacturer is visibly acknowledged. The setting for the Hutchings family marker (c.1900) helps to make it particularly outstanding. A stone tree stump is set between two living trees, and another marker in the shape of a fallen branch is located on the ground behind the main marker.

Beech Grove's landscape is an example of picturesque cemetery design. The cemetery's rolling hills, winding avenues, open spaces, and varied trees and plants arranged in a naturalistic manner are characteristics of the style. Around the turn of the century, Beech Grove contained two small lakes and a lily pond which contributed to its picturesque design. Unfortunately, they have since been filled in. Unlike many other cemeteries, the landscape was not professionally designed at the time of its founding, but rather developed over its history through the influence of many people. The first known landscape plan for the cemetery dates from 1913, over seventy years after its founding. At that time, an additional fifty-one acres had been acquired for the cemetery, so the new plan incorporated the existing conditions while planning for the new addition. The oldest sections of the cemetery are laid out in a grid pattern on flat terrain, with few trees or other plantings. The grave markers are the most visually significant features in these sections. The southern half of Beech Grove, and those areas just north of the railroad tracks which contain hills, winding roads, and many trees and plants, are more typical of a picturesque cemetery. The 1913 plan and the design of the newer areas are primarily the work of Oscar Wells Crabbs, the cemetery's third superintendent. Crabbs, who held that post from 1899-1915, was also responsible for landscaping the grounds of the Eastern Indiana Normal School (now Ball State University) and several Muncie city parks, as well as for the planting of hundreds of trees along Muncie streets. At Beech Grove, Crabbs is reported to have planted over five hundred shrubs, approximately thirteen hundred peonies, and more than five hundred trees, including elms, maples, birches, horse chestnuts and mulberries. All of these plantings and landscaping plans were recorded in Crabbs' notebook, which is still in the cemetery's possession.