This past week I had the honor of visiting the
Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock, AR and wanted to share my experience with you.
The Mount Holly Cemetery is on the National Historic Register of Cemeteries and is home to some of the most beautiful old memorials!
This beautiful cross is inscribed with "INRI" in the middle. Now...I have seen this before and always wondered what it meant. So, I looked it up and learned that the acronym represents the Latin inscription which translates into English meaning "Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews". I found this information on wikipedia and you can
click here to read the entire article.
Another popular inscription on memorial crosses is "IHS". Many customers have asked what the monogram means and it is actually the monogram of the name of Jesus as it is derived from the first three letters of the Greek version of this name. Those letters are" Iota, Eta and Sigma.
This monument for the Keene family caught my eye for several reasons. While it is not as old as some of the surrounding stones in the cemetery, it boasts a great deal of intricate hand-carvings at the top. I don't know about you, but I would love to have watched the monument builder carve all of that detail!
The Oliver monument caught my eye because of the beautiful raised letters for the last name. You will notice the letters "stand out" against the panel on which they sit, thus the term "raised letters". Raised letters were very popular (you will notice them on many of the stones) and are actually making a modern day come-back! Raised letters are one of the few lettering styles that truly look nice on just about any color of granite.
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| A beautiful old memorial |
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| A hand-carved marble memorial. |
This mausoleum door is absolutely stunning. It appears to be made of iron and has beautiful iron work on the front of the windows.
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| A close-up of the iron work on the mausoleum doors |
This beautiful pink monument boasts beautiful raised letters! The other thing I noticed is a signature from the monument company that created the stone (see photo below). Decades ago it was customary for the monument builder to sign his or her work just as an artist signs a canvas. In more recent years the practice is considered tasteless as many people associate it with advertising in the cemetery - and we do not take part in such practices. However, I thought the practice was definately worth noting for history's sake!
This gentleman's bust is hand carved from marble and was then added to this beautiful Barre granite memorial. Notice the raised letters and the handcarving around the top of the stone. The craftsmanship of this stone is absolutely amazing!
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| More mausoleum doors. |
I hope you have enjoyed this post; I know I certainly enjoyed my visit to this historic cemetery. You know, if you are currently looking for a memorial, you might consider taking a stroll through a local cemetery to help you gain an idea of the styles and artistry that you like and dislike. Northwest Arkansas is blessed with numerous cemeteries that boast countless monument ideas. Or...if you are simply not a cemetery person, just come on in
Emerson Monument Company and I will be glad to listen to you ideas, show you some pictures, and help you create something that is perfectly stunning for your loved one.
