Springdale Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Springdale Cemetery is a historic, non-sectarian, active cemetery
in the United States city of Peoria, Illinois
. It was charter
ed in 1855, received its first interment in 1857, and has over 70,000 bodies. It contains a public mausoleum
and 15 private mausoleums.
The property was acquired in 1854, and the first interment took place in April 1857. The Cemetery is an active, non-sectarian burial ground, and the property contains 15 private mausoleums. The historic gatehouse, constructed in 1901, was razed in 2010. The public mausoleum, which was designed by the Chicago architectural firm of Lovell & Lovell, was completed in 1929 and has been expanded twice. The cemetery once grew to over 360 acres (1.46 km²) but has since retracted to its present size of 223 acres. The property includes six and a half miles of winding driveways. The cemetery is the final resting place for nearly 78,000 individuals from the Peoria area. The property is not fully developed, and as a result, the Cemetery can accommodate another 50,000 burials. The Cemetery permits traditional burial in the ground, entombment in the mausoleum, inurnment of cremated remains in crypts and in burial lots, and a scattering garden. The Cemetery is actively planning for green burial.
Springdale Cemetery is has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
as a historic district
since December 10, 2004. The district contains 53 properties, just three of which are classified as non-contributing members to the historic district. The contributing properties within the district include 3 buildings, one site, 17 structures and 29 objects.
Interment in the cemetery began in April 1857 after the Illinois State Legislature granted the managers the authority to accept pre-payment for interment services and trust funds for perpetual care. The cemetery remained in private ownership until 1999 at which time Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes seized control the property due to improper management and neglected maintenance. A receiver was appointed to act on behalf of the Comptroller, and in September 2002, the publicly-appointed Springdale Cemetery Management Authority was established to manage the Cemetery following the signing of an intergovernmental agreement between the City of Peoria (the property owner), the County of Peoria
, the Peoria Park District, and the Springdale Historic Presevration Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization.
Individuals interred in the Cemetery include Octave Chanute
, the father of American aviation; Lucie (Brotherson) Tyng, founder of the Women's Christian Temperance Union; Lydia (Moss) Bradley
, founder of Bradley Polytechnic Institute (now Bradley University
); former Illinois Governor Thomas Ford
(1842–1846); American artist Hedley Waycott; Anastase Robin, a member of Napoleon's Imperial Guard; and others who are prominent in the establishment of Peoria as well as common men and women who made the city their home. Approximately 900 military veterans lie buried on the grounds in both a designated Soldiers' Hill (established in 1862) as well as in private lots.
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
in the United States city of Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
. It was charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
ed in 1855, received its first interment in 1857, and has over 70,000 bodies. It contains a public mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
and 15 private mausoleums.
The property was acquired in 1854, and the first interment took place in April 1857. The Cemetery is an active, non-sectarian burial ground, and the property contains 15 private mausoleums. The historic gatehouse, constructed in 1901, was razed in 2010. The public mausoleum, which was designed by the Chicago architectural firm of Lovell & Lovell, was completed in 1929 and has been expanded twice. The cemetery once grew to over 360 acres (1.46 km²) but has since retracted to its present size of 223 acres. The property includes six and a half miles of winding driveways. The cemetery is the final resting place for nearly 78,000 individuals from the Peoria area. The property is not fully developed, and as a result, the Cemetery can accommodate another 50,000 burials. The Cemetery permits traditional burial in the ground, entombment in the mausoleum, inurnment of cremated remains in crypts and in burial lots, and a scattering garden. The Cemetery is actively planning for green burial.
Springdale Cemetery is has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as a historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
since December 10, 2004. The district contains 53 properties, just three of which are classified as non-contributing members to the historic district. The contributing properties within the district include 3 buildings, one site, 17 structures and 29 objects.
Interment in the cemetery began in April 1857 after the Illinois State Legislature granted the managers the authority to accept pre-payment for interment services and trust funds for perpetual care. The cemetery remained in private ownership until 1999 at which time Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes seized control the property due to improper management and neglected maintenance. A receiver was appointed to act on behalf of the Comptroller, and in September 2002, the publicly-appointed Springdale Cemetery Management Authority was established to manage the Cemetery following the signing of an intergovernmental agreement between the City of Peoria (the property owner), the County of Peoria
Peoria County, Illinois
Peoria County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 186,494, which is an increase of 1.7% from 183,433 in 2000. Its county seat is Peoria....
, the Peoria Park District, and the Springdale Historic Presevration Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization.
Individuals interred in the Cemetery include Octave Chanute
Octave Chanute
Octave Chanute was a French-born American railway engineer and aviation pioneer. He provided the Wright brothers with help and advice, and helped to publicize their flying experiments. At his death he was hailed as the father of aviation and the heavier-than-air flying machine...
, the father of American aviation; Lucie (Brotherson) Tyng, founder of the Women's Christian Temperance Union; Lydia (Moss) Bradley
Lydia Moss Bradley
Lydia Moss Bradley was a wealthy philanthropist notable for her philanthropic works in Illinois and the independent management of her wealth.-Earlier life:...
, founder of Bradley Polytechnic Institute (now Bradley University
Bradley University
Bradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
); former Illinois Governor Thomas Ford
Thomas Ford (politician)
Thomas Ford was the eighth Governor of Illinois, and served in this capacity from 1842 to 1846. A Democrat, he is remembered largely for his involvement in the death of Joseph Smith, Jr., and the subsequent Illinois Mormon War...
(1842–1846); American artist Hedley Waycott; Anastase Robin, a member of Napoleon's Imperial Guard; and others who are prominent in the establishment of Peoria as well as common men and women who made the city their home. Approximately 900 military veterans lie buried on the grounds in both a designated Soldiers' Hill (established in 1862) as well as in private lots.
External links
- Springdale Cemetery — official site, with history