Hollywood Cemetery was eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C for its designed and landscaped grounds, and the artistic value of its grave markers and sepulchral sculpture. It was planned with landscaped grounds and ornamental plantings, a pastoral setting with benches for meditation, and streets and…
Like most of West Tennessee, Jackson developed primarily as a result of its cotton production; however, its railroad connections from New Orleans to the Midwest ensured Jackson’s prominence as a transportation hub. Many of the deceased in Hollywood Cemetery contributed substantially to the town’s economy. According to one Madison County…
Several people interred in Hollywood contributed to Jackson’s cotton economy in various ways. Frank Anderson who died in 1934 and is buried in Section E, Lot 12, joined his brother, and brother-in-law to form Anderson, Clayton and Company “the largest buyers, sellers, storers of raw cotton in the world.” Cotton…
Numerous other business and professional leaders are buried at Hollywood. Although architect Reuben A. Heavner (died 1940) [Section M, Lot 53] left buildings such as the Southern Hotel in Jackson as his legacy, his burial in Hollywood Cemetery is worth noting. Clarence E. Pigford (died 1945) [Section B, Lot 93],…
Many of our politicians were veterans and Hollywood holds soldiers who served in various wars. Within two decades of its founding, Hollywood Cemetery began burying Mexican War and Spanish American War veterans along with a number of Civil War veterans. Twelve known Spanish American veterans are interred at Hollywood. At…
Hollywood Cemetery reflects the importance of fraternal organizations in Jackson and to the burial ritual. Although three or four fraternal organizations, including the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Masons are represented on markers at Hollywood, those marking Woodmen of the World members are most numerous. Because the W.O.W.…
Hollywood Cemetery represents the period of funerary art and site design between the first municipal burial ground and the late twentieth century perpetual care cemeteries with ground level, flat grave markers. Hollywood could be considered a second stage of burial ground in Madison County with its abundant funerary art and…
Although the majority of the historic markers and monuments contribute to the overall design character of the cemetery, the degree of aesthetic character varies among them. Several individual monuments, primarily sculpted figures, highlight the cemetery’s artistic significance as well as the wealth and prominence of the deceased and their families.…
Motifs expressed in Hollywood Cemetery that typify Victorian era funerary art include obelisks, draped urns, lambs, Gothic elements, and flower boxes. These motifs popular in the Victorian era persisted through the early twentieth century, particularly in the South. Three small statues also exhibit well-executed carving as well as the Victorian…
Hollywood’s abundant Classical Revival markers often combine artistic and religious elements and symbolism. Although the obelisk and the false crypt (or coffin markers) had been used previously, the 1922 discovery of Egyptian King Tutankhamen’s tomb sparked renewed admiration for Egyptian art forms, particularly as expressed in funerary art. Jackson’s citizens…
