Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston South Carolina
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Magnolia Cemetery, a large public cemetery located on the outskirts of Charleston, South Carolina, covers approximately 92 acres and contains the graves of numerous prominent South Carolinians. Established in 1850, Magnolia is extensively landscaped and contains excellent examples of late 19th-century cemetery architecture and sculpture. Although still operative today, Magnolia enjoyed prominence during the mid and late 19th Century, a time when it was also a popular spot. As Edmund V. Gillon has written, "Where we shun our cemeteries, the Victorian family delighted in them and could think of no better place, say, for a family picnic." Magnolia Cemetery, with its extensive landscaping, outstanding tombs, and monumental sculptures, is an excellent reflection of the art, tastes, and social mores of the 19th Century. Furthermore, containing the graves of numerous figures important in local, state, and national affairs, Magnolia Cemetery is important to the state.
During the 19th Century, city churchyards became overcrowded, and it became necessary to establish new cemeteries outside of the towns. Mount Auburn in Boston and Greenwood in New York were among the first to be founded; Magnolia Cemetery was part of this national trend. In 1849 several Charlestonians began making plans to form a company to establish a rural cemetery. Although their efforts met opposition by those who preferred the traditional church graveyards, a company of eight stockholders was formed who selected a site on the old Magnolia Umbra plantation. The rules for governing the cemetery were copied from Greenwood and Mount Auburn. The stockholders chose the prominent Charleston architect, Edward C. Jones, to survey and design the cemetery.
The landscaping surrounding the original 1407 (now 3200) lots reflected the popular 19th Century aesthetic of picturesque ponds, winding paths and gardens. The Charleston Courier reported on July 30th, 1850:
We feel great interest in the success of this enterprise, believing it will advance the best interests of the community.
On November 19th, 1850 the cemetery was formally dedicated with music, a religious ceremony, and an address delivered by Charles Fraser (the prominent Charleston miniaturist).
In June 1857 Harper's New Monthly Magazine wrote that Magnolia Cemetery is a "very lovely City of the Silent, answering in the Palmetto City, to the Mount Auburn of Boston, the Greenwood of New York and the Laurel Hill of Philadelphia." In addition to becoming an important graveyard, containing the graves of many of South Carolina's most prominent families, Magnolia was also enjoyed as a popular spot for walks and outings. A letter written about 1856 records a pleasant afternoon spent sketching scenes at Magnolia - "Till sunset we remained out; there was little temptation to return home for dinner." A few years later, Arthur Mazyck noted in his Guide to Charleston Illustrated that completion of the Enterprise Railway had made the cemetery more easily accessible to visitors from the city.
During this period some of South Carolina's most prominent citizens were buried at Magnolia: Thomas Bennett (1781-1865), governor of South Carolina 1820-22; R. Barnwell Rhett (1800-1876), a United States Congressman and Senator; Hugh S. Legare (1797-1841), United States Attorney General and acting Secretary of State under President Tyler (originally buried at Mount Auburn, Legare's remains were later moved to Magnolia); Langdon Cheves (1776-1856) Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, director of the United States Bank, and commissioner of claims under the Treaty of Ghent; George A. Trenholm, Secretary of the Treasury of the Confederacy; William Gregg (1800-1867), founder of Graniteville Mill and a leading influence in the spread of cotton mills in the South.
Literary figures buried at Magnolia Cemetery include William Gilmore Simms (1806-1870), an outstanding man of letters in the 19th Century. Representing the state's military history are Confederate brigadier generals R. S. Ripley (1823-1887) and Micah Jenkins (1835-1864), and Captain Horace Hunley and the crew of the Hunley, the submarine which sank the U.S.S. Housatonic during the War Between the States.
Outstanding examples of Egyptian revival architecture include the pyramid-shaped W. B. Smith Mausoleum and the Vanderhorst Mausoleum, which may have been designed by Francis D. Lee.
Illustrating the symbolism that was extensively used in cemetery art during the mid and late 19th Century are obelisks, urns, mourning figures, and reversed torches. The Ellen Turner monument is a free-standing angel, apparently inscribing the book of death. Another distinctive monument is that of a Greek temple containing a sarcophagus. Perhaps one of the most important monuments is the Col. William Washington Monument, erected in honor of the outstanding Revolutionary War leader. Designed by E. B. White and carved by W. T. White of Charleston in 1858, it is a fluted Doric column with a rattlesnake entwined near the base.
With the advance of the 20th Century and the rising costs of maintenance, the cemetery fell into decline.
Site Description
Located on the outskirts of Charleston, South Carolina, Magnolia Cemetery is a large cemetery, covering approximately 92 acres. It was chartered in 1850 and designed by the noted South Carolina architect Edward C. Jones.
Magnolia Cemetery is extensively landscaped with winding drives and paths interspersed with small ponds and a lake. As shown by the original plan (see Map A), the design included a chapel, formal garden, keeper's house, and receiving tomb. Of the original cemetery structures, the Receiving Tomb remains, plus a ca. 1805 structure (now the superintendent's office), three 1890s structures, five mausoleums, and many impressive examples of cemetery art and architecture. Also remaining are excellent examples of ironwork of the late 19th Century and remnants of the original landscape patterns.
Selected examples of outstanding tombs and monuments include the following:
1.Vanderhorst Mausoleum on 1856): a large rectangular tomb--Egyptian revival architecture
2. Gibbes Mausoleum (ca. 1888): a marble tomb featuring the family coat of arms, an urn, and two flanking figures.
3. Col. William Washington Monument (1858): a large fluted Doric column with a rattlesnake entwined near the base. Designed by E.B. White.
4. Thomas Bennett Tombstone: a large monument with urn at top
5. William A. Courtenay Monument--monument with bust of Courtenay
6. W.B. Smith Mausoleum: Egyptian revival architecture--a large, pyramid tomb
7. Micah Jenkins Tombstone: a large obelisk with sword carved in relief
8. Elbert P. Jones Monument (1852-53): a pinnacled monument with central spire. Designed by Francis D. Lee, a noted South. Carolina architect.
9. Ellen Turner Monument: a free-standing angel inscribing a book (presumably the book of death).
10. Hattie A. Bird Monument: a fully-sculptured, seated female figure
11. Trapier-Jervey Gate: an example of numerous cast iron gates and fences in cemetery
12. Masonic Gate: an example of 19th Century iron work--the gate features elaborately wrought Masonic symbols.
Other structures within the property include the following:
14. The chapel (ca. 1890): a small clapboard structure with brackets and gable roof (the original Gothic Revival chapel designed by Jones no longer stands).
15. The pump house: a small 1890s structure.
16. The superintendent's office is the oldest structure at Magnolia Cemetery, having been part of the original Magnolia Umbra plantation. Built ca. 1805, the two-story structure is constructed of stucco-faced brick on the first floor and clapboard-covered balloon framing on the second floor. Windows 9/9 double-hung sash with louvered shutters. The north facade is dominated by two-story verandah and divided into five equal bays in an "AABAA" pattern. The east and west facades are each gabled with an interior chimney piercing the roof at its crest. The south facade has been extensively altered by the enclosure of the original verandah and the addition of a one-bay pedimented portico. The roof is flared at the ends over the porches and covered with standing-seam terne.
Magnolia Cemetery is presently in poor condition. Many of the iron gates and fences are deteriorating; much of the vegetation is overgrown; and many of the monuments and sculptures need attention. Nevertheless, enough of the landscape design remains, along with the impressive tombs and monuments, to be recognized as an outstanding 19th Century cemetery.
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