Wooldridge Monuments
Encyclopedia
The Wooldridge Monuments are a series of historical monuments located in Maplewood Cemetery of Mayfield, Kentucky
. They were built for Colonel Henry G. Wooldridge, to commemorate family members and other loved ones of his life, from 1892 until Wooldridge's death on May 30, 1899. Wooldridge is the only one buried at the site. The lot has been called "The Strange Procession Which Never Moves".
The monuments were gaining attention even in Wooldridge's lifetime, as represented in the November 7, 1897 issue of Republic. Stories told of the monuments include the Minnie statue actually representing a childhood sweetheart whose early death due to horse riding prompted Wooldridge's bachelorhood (family records say it was of a niece) and that Wooldridge was such a miser that money was buried with him in his tomb.
The total area of the monuments are 17 by. All eighteen monuments face east, like most of the gravestones in Maplewood Cemetery. The most prominent is a life-size likeness of Wooldridge himself, a 6 feet (1.8 m) marble
statue in the center of the site, made in Italy. Fourteen other monuments surrounding Wooldridge are made of limestone
, and have more rigid poses. The largest of these represent Wooldridge on his horse, named "Fop". The other limestone statues are 5 feet (1.5 m) tall on 3 foot (0.9144 m) bases, and represent family members. Behind these are replicas of a fox, a deer, and two hounds chasing them; the dogs are unidentified on the statue but represent Wooldridge's dogs "Towhead" and "Bob". The statue makers, who hailed from Mayfield and Paducah, Kentucky
, never before or after had a more "complex" or "ambitious" project.
The female statues represent Wooldridge's mother Keziah, his sisters Minerva, Narcissa, and Susan, and his nieces Maud and Minnie. The male statues that are not of Wooldridge are of his brothers Alfred, John, Josiah, and W.H. There is no statue depicting Wooldridge's father.
The fence around the lot was placed there by the Mayfield Masonic lodge, replacing the old iron fence. Wooldridge was a Freemason.
In September 1984 the monuments were featured on the TV show Ripley's Believe It or Not.
To gain access to the monuments, one must go through another item on the National Register to get there, the Confederate Memorial Gates in Mayfield
.
On January 27, 2009, the monuments were damaged when a large tree in the cemetery fell as a result of an ice storm, breaking several of the heads. Only the statues of Wooldridge's sisters and a dog remain standing. City and County officials are considering what to do to repair the damage to the monuments, one of the few tourist attractions for the city. It is unknown if the cemetery's insurance covers repairing the monuments, and the city must wait from the insurance company and the Federal Emergency Management Agency
before knowing how repairs can begin. The tree is so large that it has still not yet been removed from atop the statues,
Over the summer of 2010 all the monuments were restored on site by Monument Conservation Collaborative, a historic monument restoration firm based in Connecticut.
On October 21, 2010 there was an official rededication of the monument as over a year's worth of repairs have been completed and all the statues are back in place.
Mayfield, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,349 people, 4,358 households, and 2,667 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.8 people per square mile . There were 4,907 housing units at an average density of 734.8 per square mile...
. They were built for Colonel Henry G. Wooldridge, to commemorate family members and other loved ones of his life, from 1892 until Wooldridge's death on May 30, 1899. Wooldridge is the only one buried at the site. The lot has been called "The Strange Procession Which Never Moves".
History
In 1892, Wooldridge lost the last of his sisters, leaving him with no immediate family; he was a life long bachelor. This prompted him to buy a lot at Maplewood Cemetery.The monuments were gaining attention even in Wooldridge's lifetime, as represented in the November 7, 1897 issue of Republic. Stories told of the monuments include the Minnie statue actually representing a childhood sweetheart whose early death due to horse riding prompted Wooldridge's bachelorhood (family records say it was of a niece) and that Wooldridge was such a miser that money was buried with him in his tomb.
Description
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
statue in the center of the site, made in Italy. Fourteen other monuments surrounding Wooldridge are made of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, and have more rigid poses. The largest of these represent Wooldridge on his horse, named "Fop". The other limestone statues are 5 feet (1.5 m) tall on 3 foot (0.9144 m) bases, and represent family members. Behind these are replicas of a fox, a deer, and two hounds chasing them; the dogs are unidentified on the statue but represent Wooldridge's dogs "Towhead" and "Bob". The statue makers, who hailed from Mayfield and Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
, never before or after had a more "complex" or "ambitious" project.
The female statues represent Wooldridge's mother Keziah, his sisters Minerva, Narcissa, and Susan, and his nieces Maud and Minnie. The male statues that are not of Wooldridge are of his brothers Alfred, John, Josiah, and W.H. There is no statue depicting Wooldridge's father.
The fence around the lot was placed there by the Mayfield Masonic lodge, replacing the old iron fence. Wooldridge was a Freemason.
Modern times
To gain access to the monuments, one must go through another item on the National Register to get there, the Confederate Memorial Gates in Mayfield
Confederate Memorial Gates in Mayfield
The Confederate Memorial Gates in Mayfield are historical monuments that represent the entrance to Maplewood Cemetery in Mayfield, Kentucky. The monuments were the second monument in Mayfield the United Daughters of the Confederacy established, the first being the Confederate Memorial in Mayfield...
.
On January 27, 2009, the monuments were damaged when a large tree in the cemetery fell as a result of an ice storm, breaking several of the heads. Only the statues of Wooldridge's sisters and a dog remain standing. City and County officials are considering what to do to repair the damage to the monuments, one of the few tourist attractions for the city. It is unknown if the cemetery's insurance covers repairing the monuments, and the city must wait from the insurance company and the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
before knowing how repairs can begin. The tree is so large that it has still not yet been removed from atop the statues,
Over the summer of 2010 all the monuments were restored on site by Monument Conservation Collaborative, a historic monument restoration firm based in Connecticut.
On October 21, 2010 there was an official rededication of the monument as over a year's worth of repairs have been completed and all the statues are back in place.