The Old City Cemetery

The Old City Cemetery is located in downtown Lynchburg, Virginia. It has been here since 1806. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in the United States. It has been continuously used since it has been established. As of today it holds more than 20,000 people. The majority of gravestones were placed there before 1925. There is a variety of people that are buried here. Of the 20,000 people buried here, many include African Americans, war veterans and children. The gravestones are not in any order, but are in some sections. These sections include places for children and war veterans. 

    

            One part of the cemetery that I found interesting is the area that had one headstone for multiple soldiers who died specifically from small pox during the Civil War. Because of the specific headstone title, I assumed that during the Civil War, many lives were taken from small pox, along with casualties from the battlefields. There was also another section pertaining to the Civil War that I found interesting. Near the headstone for those that died from small pox was a small section about women that worked in hospitals in Virginia during the Civil War for the Confederate side. It commemorated the women that helped to serve the Confederate Army during their time of injuries.

                                          
                                                               

            The site displays a variety of different headstones. When walking through the cemetery, you can easily see the difference in design of the headstones over the years since the cemetery was founded. There are monuments and headstones made of marble and stone, as well as carved tree trunks. Archways, benches and sculptures have also been built and go beautifully with the trees and flowers that are in the cemetery. 

                                                       

            The Old City Cemetery is full of historic significance not just for the Lynchburg area, but the United States as a whole. As previously stated, the cemetery contains bodies of those that died in wars. Over 2,000 soldiers that died in Confederate hospitals during the Civil War are buried here. These soldiers were from fourteen different states. This specific part of the cemetery is used to commemorate those that died fighting on the Confederate side of the War. Other parts of the cemetery are used to simply remember those that are not here with us today. 

                                                                       

            This site is an amazing place to visit with rich historic information. I would highly encourage others to come and visit because I know I will definitely be going back soon!