In nearly every township across the Unites States, you will find at least one cemetery or graveyard.  According to Statista there are approximately 25,000 cemeteries across the 50 states.  Each cemetery is filled with historic architecture and stonework as well as many personal stories of its residents.  Cemeteries show our respect for our forefathers and celebrate the passing of families …

Tombs Perhaps the most famous of all marble tombs is the Taj Mahal.  This shrine to an emperor’s wife was constructed in the early 17th century and is entirely clad in an ivory-white shade of marble.  The construction itself took more than 20 years, during which an estimated 20,000 stone carvers, masons, and artists converted tons of Indian Marble and …

Perhaps the most famous mausoleum in the world, the Taj Mahl in India, sits on a rise overlooking the River Jumna in the Indian city of Agra. The Taj Mahal, once referred to as “a dream in marble, designed by Titans and finished by jewelers,” is the tomb built by Shah Jahan, a Mogul emperor, for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, …

Epitaphs are sayings, usually engraved on headstones or gravemarkers.  While modern epitaphs are often standard, such as “Beloved Wife and Mother”, “Resting with the Angels”, or “Eternally Blessed”, in centuries past epitaphs were often more elaborate.  Here is a sampling of some epitaphs, many witty, from years past in the early days of the American colonies: Here lies the body …

THE COFFINS. Numerous excavations and the close scrutiny which modern scholars have given to Grecian graves have made it possible to state with considerable accuracy the materials used for coffins, and the various styles of coffins, tombs and monuments used in ancient Greece. The earlier coffins were usually made of baked clay, but writing show that, in the case of …

The ancient Greeks make for a fascinating example of culture and tradition from two thousands years ago.  Many aspects of Greek life hold threads of similarity to our own.  In nothing, is the refinement of the Greek more clearly shown than in their reverence for the dead and in the ceremonies which surrounded burial. Greeks often talked of burial as …

In our series on materials that are used or have traditionally been used in the making of monuments and memorials, we have looked at granite, marble, sandstone, limestone, bronze, copper, slate, and wood. In this article we will look at the classic use of marble for memorial markers, statues, and monuments. Throughout centuries of history, marble has been a popular …

An inspiring, columnar-type memorial expertly-designed by a monument retailer and superbly-executed, was dedicated recently in front of the City Coliseum in Macon, Georgia, one of the state’s· largest cities and the business hub of Middle Georgia. The memorial commemorates servicemen from Bibb and surrounding counties and lists the names of those killed in World War I, World War 11, Korea, …

In our series on materials that are used or have traditionally been used in the making of monuments and memorials, we have looked at granite, marble, sandstone, limestone, bronze, copper, slate, and wood. In this article we will look at the uses of granite for memorial markers, statues, and tombs. For millennia people have been building monuments memorializing leaders, deities, …

For thousands of years, people have gone to elaborate lengths to commemorate the final resting place of their loved ones and honored leaders.  And while much has changed over millenia, grave markers and monuments are still erected every day in much the same styles and materials.  Stone tombs and monuments, bronze plaques, marble markers, and slate headstones have survived the …