Detroit Graveyards By: Lauren, Olivia, Daniel and Max A Cyberfair Project

History of Graveyards in Detroit Graveyards fulfill the needs and wants of a community by providing a sacred place to bury loved ones. Many of the historic graveyards of Detroit provide a serene place for people to remember those they have lost.

Map with Locations Elmwood Woodmere Woodlawn Mount Elliot The largest cemetery in metro Detroit The oldest non- religious cemetery in Detroit Butler The most haunted cemetery in Detroit Then Now Then Now Then Now Then Now Then

How Have they Changed The deceased used to be either buried in family plots or crowded church graveyards. These traditional graveyards did not have enough capacity to support future burials and some of the graveyards were a menace to public health that caused contamination of wells and springs. Graveyards have always offered traditional in-ground burial services, but management has made many changes over the years to adapt to the needs and wants of the community. In addition to traditional in-ground burials with above ground monuments, cemeteries have provided for entombment in mausoleums and on-grounds cremation services with memorialization in niches and scattering gardens.

Woodmere Woodmere used to be a Protestant cemetery but now it is open to everybody. In the 1900’s people used to compete to have the tallest gravestone and some are 30 feet tall. In 1985 the cemetery was vandalized and a vault was broken into and one of the bodies was taken apart and the head was placed in one persons yard and the body was placed in another. The cemetery has room for a projected another 150 years. The church on the site was built in 1914 and the windows are stained glass.The only thing that is not original today are the lights. They have 5-10 funerals each week.

Mt. Elliott Mount Elliot Cemetery was named after the architect Robert Elliott and was consecrated in 1841.The Mt. Elliott cemetery is still in business because of its care, it is carefully landscaped and looked after Mount Elliott is the final resting place for many prominent Detroit citizens as well as regular residents. Mt. Elliott Cemetery also holds the distinct honor as the home for the Firemen’s Fund Monument. Every other year it hosts a special memorial day event to honor fire fighters..

Elmwood Elmwood is the longest surviving non religious graveyard in the Detroit area. There are many prominent people buried in Elmwood here are some people that are: 28 Detroit mayors, 11 U.S. senators, seven Michigan governors, 28 Civil War generals and 15 black veterans of that war. Elmwood hosts it’s own cremations on site and in the 20th century they flattened the land to make more room to bury people because it is hard to bury people on slanted land.

Woodlawn Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced on June 30th, 2011 that The Woodlawn Cemetery had been designated a National Historic Landmark, the highest recognition accorded to the nation's most historically significant properties Since Woodlawn's founding in 1863, 310,000 people, from Gilded Age magnates to pioneers for women's rights to Harlem Renaissance writers and musicians, as well as artists, athletes, and ordinary citizens, have been interred on the cemetery's 400 acres.

Conclusion Graveyards will have to change in the future and become more sustainable in the following areas: Using natural products and techniques for coffins Considering the ecology of the graveyard Sustainable landscape management Integrating natural Habitats as a cemetery feature Water conservation Using energy efficient equipment.

Credits Google images Created by: Olivia, Lauren, Max and Daniel