South Carolina Department of Archives and History |
National Register Properties in South Carolina Laurelwood Cemetery, York County (Bordered by Laurel, W. White, Stewart, and W. Main Sts., Rock Hill) |
Laurelwood Cemetery is significant for its association with a number of persons important to the early history and development of Rock Hill, for its funerary art, and for its association with noted landscape architect and planner Earle S. Draper. The cemetery was created in 1872 to serve as the first municipal cemetery for the growing community of Rock Hill. It now contains 11,414 marked grave sites, and is nearing capacity. The land for the cemetery was purchased in three parcels over a number of years from Ann Hutchison White and members of her family. The design for the last of the three parcels was done by landscape architect Earle S. Draper. Despite the fact that it was developed in sections, the cemetery appears as a unified whole, with pleasing views over the western part of downtown Rock Hill and the Winthrop University campus. The funerary art in Laurelwood Cemetery varies greatly because of the changes in tombstone design over the years and because of the range of financial means of the families using the cemetery. In the older sections, graves are adorned by a few raised stone tombs and a number of obelisks, table markers, spheres, and other forms. Symbolic images include carved angels, figures of children, urns, wreaths, tree stumps, and open books. At the highest point stands a Confederate monument, the tallest structure in the cemetery, providing a focal point for the older section. At least 171 Confederate veterans are buried in Laurelwood. There are also graves of veterans of all the twentieth century conflicts, and a memorial to veterans of the First World War. Listed in the National Register July 31, 2008.
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