Hollywood Cemetary

Admist our extra credit trip, we decided to take a detour through Hollywood Cemetary. This 130 acres of land is rich with history, legend, and gothic landscape. It was established in 1849 on a plot of land fomerly known as "Harvie's Woods" which was once owned by William Byrd II. It earned the name of Hollywood from all of the Holly trees found on the property. There are many notable people buried here in Hollywood Cemetary. Our fifth president, James Monroe, and his wife, Elizabeth Monroe, are buried here. Tenth preisdent, John Tyler, and his wife Julia Tyler and Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States, and his wife, Varina Davis, are also buried here. Other well known people include J.E.B. Stuart, George Pickett, Matthew Fontaine Maury, and the first Confederate Soldier killed during the war, Henry Lawson Wyatt.


In 1869, a 90-foot high granite pyramid was built as a memorial to  18,000 enlisted men of the Confederate Army buried in the cemetery. No mortar was used in its construction. Confederate soldiers who perished in Gettysburg were reinterred here on what is now known as Gettysburg Hill. The cornerstones are entombed with various artifacts including a flag, a button from Stonewall Jackson's coat, and a lock of Jefferson Davis's Hair. Jefferson Davis was first buried in New Orleans and was later moved to Hollywood Cemetery in 1893.

Every cemetary has a spooky tale associated with it and Hollywood is no different. People claim to experience orbs, feeling "cold spots" and sensing energy drains or becoming ill the next day after visiting the Confederate Pyramid. Another well know tale is of the cast iron watch dog. This dog originally stood outside a shop in Richmond and the little girl would pass by it everyday on her way to school, stopping to pet the dog and say hello. When the little girl died of scarlett fever, the storeowner presented the iron dog to her family. It was placed next to her grave to keep watch. Since then, it has been reported that the dog supposedly comes to life to chase people from her grave site or people have seen it facing one direction but facing another when they return. 

 Interested in other creepy, historical places found all over Virginia? Pick up a copy of Weird Virginia by Jeff Bahr, Troy Taylor, and Loren Coleman. Well worth it! 

Kendall Tyler

Luke Rush

Sara Schweiger