Listed as a place to visit along the Lewis and Clark Historic Trail is the 296-acre Victorian-era Cemetery and Arboretum known as Cave Hill Cemetery. Situated just 2 1/2 miles east of downtown Louisville, the cemetery was chartered in 1848. As usual, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s step back, a little further in time, to what was originally Cave Hill Farm.
Captain William Johnston & Family
William Johnston was born in Spottsylvania County, Virginia Colony, in 1760 to Benjamin and Dorothy Jones Johnston. William graduated from William and Mary College in 1778. Immediately following graduation, he served in the Revolutionary War in the Northwest Campaign, traveling to Illinois as a voluntary aide to General George Rogers Clark.
Following the end of the war, in 1783, William moved to Kentucky County with his parents to claim land he was granted for his service. This land sat up on a hill a few miles east of the new town of Louisville established in 1778. Within that hillside was a cave and spring with fresh water flowing from it. It was from this hillside cave that Johnston named his land, Cave Hill Farm.
Upon arrival in Louisville, William was appointed the clerk of Kentucky County due to General Clark’s influence. Then on November 11, 1784, Johnston married Elizabeth “Betsey” Withers Winn, of Fauquier County, Virginia Colony, just days after the Winn family arrived in Kentucky.
Betsey was the daughter of Captain James Minor and Hannah (Withers) Winn.
On July 31, 1787, William and Betsey welcomed a son into the world, whom they named James Chew Johnston. (James Chew Johnston would go on to become a noted physician.) In 1788, Johnston built his family a home upon the hill. This home was the first brick home built west of the Kentucky River. He built his home overlooking the lake and spring. (The home was built on what is today’s sections 33 & 34 in Cave Hill Cemetery.)
According to Cave Hill Cemetery and Arboretum, William went on to become “the first Clerk of the Courts of Jefferson County, Kentucky after statehood, and as a land agent for various interests. His fulfillment of these various roles led to the construction of a recorder’s office on Cave Hill Farm.”
Due to William’s work within the courts, the family also had a home in-town on the corner of Sixth and Main streets. It was in this home that William died in 1797 at just 37 years old. He was buried on his Cave Hill property in what is today’s Section D, Lot 54.
William’s will gave one-third of his estate to his wife, Betsey and the remainder to his son. The will also required the estate to remain intact with Betsey until she remarried, which she did do on January 8, 1808. At that time she married John Collins in Louisville.
Land Changes Hands
From 1807 until 1846, the land was leased to tenant-farmers presumably by William’s son, James Chew who would have been nearly 20 years old by then.
In the 1830s, the City of Louisville purchased the back portion of the property which held a stone quarry. The City anticipated the building of the proposed Louisville and Frankfort Railroad which would run through the property. The quarry would be beneficial in the building of the raiload so the city had a workhouse built near it.
Then, in the 1840s, Johnston’s brick home became the City’s “Pest House” for those people who suffered from communicable diseases, which included Cholera, Scarlet Fever, Tuberculosis and Typhoid Fever, just to name just a few.
From Farm to Cemetery
As one can imagine, the 1840s saw much death due to the diseases mentioned above. So, in 1846, the City used it’s prior land purchase to begin a city cemetery. (The expected Louisville and Frankfort Railroad had skirted around the property rather than through it.)
In 1846, Mayor Frederick A. Kaye began investigating the possibility of developing a rural or garden-style cemetery on the grounds, a popular concept at the time. Hartford, Connecticut civil engineer Edmund Francis Lee was hired, who planned a cemetery with winding paths, graves across the tops of hills, and lakes and ponds in the valleys.
NPS.GOV
In 1872, the Johnston’s brick home was demolished, and as years passed, the remainder of the farm, as well as adjoining pieces of land, were acquired as the cemetery expanded. By 1888, the cemetery included 296 acres of land. It was remapped, and I assume the brick walls surrounding the acreage were built.
My Visit
The day of this trip was a little different from my usual trips. On this day, I visited Cave Hill Cemetery with my DAR Chapter and we received a tour from one of our members who is a docent at the cemetery. Our tour focused on Revolutionary War Patriots who were buried in the cemetery (moved from alternate locations) and Victorian-era symbols used within the cemetery.
Victorian Era Symbolism
The Victorian-era (considered to be from 1837 – 1901) brought wealth and stature. This transferred into burials. Success in life would be shown in death through grand monuments made of marble and granite. Today, this is considered as “monumental art.” Here are a few of the symbols used and their meanings.
Covered Urns –
Urns were a symbol of death and sadness. These urns would be placed atop monuments to represent the death of the body but not the soul. The use of drapery was a death custom of the time. People would drape their home (including mirrors, clocks, and doorknobs) in black fabrics upon a loved one’s death. This drapery was also found on monuments, as it was carved as a covering on the urn. The drapery represented a veil between life and death.
Obelisks –
Obelisks originated in ancient Egypt and were often used at the entrances of temples. In the Victorian-era, it was used because it pointed toward Heaven and God. If it was a broken obelisk, this represented a life broken or cut too short.
Laurel Wreaths and Garlands –
A laurel wreath was a Victorian-era symbol of victory; the victory over death as the dead entered into Heaven.
Hands –
Hands were often used in Victorian memorials in several ways; either in praying, holding an object such as a flower or rosary, and in a clasp with another hand. Clasping hands represented a couple torn apart in death, but symbolized that they would be reunited later in Heaven. One cuff would be masculine and the other feminine.
Torches –
An upright torch represented life while an inverted torch signified death. A burning flame symbolized the flame of eternal life and the Christian belief in resurrection. Two torches signified Christ, the light of the World.
Lambs –
A lamb was a symbol of innocence and purity, most often used upon a child’s grave. Approximately 50% of children born in the Victorian-era died due to disease and/or lack of medical knowledge. (Our World in Data.org)
To Read more Victorian-era Symbolism Click Here
We visited a few Revolutionary War Patriot gravesites including George Rogers Clark, his brothers Edmund and Jonathan Clark, William Croghan, and David Wood Meriwether. Other patriots include John Nelson and Frederick Geiger.
Cave Hill is the resting place of many more memorable people including Muhammed Ali and Colonel Sanders. You can find a list of others on the Cave Hill Cemetery website.
In addition, a section of Cave Hill is cared for by the Veterans Administration. This section is the Cave Hill National Cemetery and contains the burial grounds of our veterans. The first entered into this section were our Civil War veterans. The national section now encompasses four acres of land.
The cemetery continues to pride itself on its beauty, originally laid out and designed in 1848. The cemetery is now an accredited arboretum with over 600 different tree and shrub species. One famous tree that locals come to see in the Fall is the massive Ginko. I had the opportunity to return in November and catch the beauty that makes this tree so famous.
Lastly, many locals and visitors come to see the wildlife in Cave Hill. There are over 170 species of birds to be found at varying times within the cemetery including the barn owl, sandhill crane, and bald eagle! You can also find otters, foxes, and deer. Click here for a news story regarding the wildlife of Cave Hill.
Reflection
You will find more that just resting places within the walls of Cave Hill Cemetery. You’ll find history, stories, beauty, nature, wildlife, and more. It is truly a special place that should be visited in all seasons. I have been in Summer and Fall and hope to return during the remaining two seasons. I have spent most of my time in the older section of the cemetery, along with the National Cemetery, but have not wandered much passed that. I hope to visit sections I have not seen and maybe one day will spend some time trying to find the otter and fox – the one affectionately named Snow.
If you have not visited Cave Hill, I highly recommend that you do, regardless of whether you enjoy history or not. There is so much more to this cemetery and you won’t regret taking the time to visit. Touring the cemetery on your own is absolutely free. The cemetery does provide guided tours for a fee. These tours vary, covering different interests, from Military History to Cemetery Design, and so much more. All their tours can be found on the website page here. There are so many, I may just find myself back there taking one or two more!
Next time you’re in the area, take the time to drive through – or step out and take a walk, you simply will not regret it.
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