Wooldridge Monuments
The Wooldridge Monuments are a number of historical statues in the Maplewood Cemetery in Mayfield. Henry G. Wooldridge they had between 1892 and his death on May 30, 1899 build to remind family members and other persons, whom he loved and revered during his life. Wooldridge is the only person who is actually buried at the site. The collection of figures later referred to as " The strange procession that does not move ". The ensemble was founded in 1980 entered in the National Register of Historic Places.
History
When in 1892 the last of the sisters Wooldridges died, he was left with no close relatives who, as he had his life not married. This prompted him to buy a tomb on the Maplewood Cemetery.
While still alive, Wooldridges aroused the attention monuments, such as the coverage in the Republic November 7, 1897 shows. Among the stories that were told, heard the legend that the statue of his niece Minnie is really a childhood sweetheart who fell a riding accident victim and to have been the reason for the Wooldridge never married and that he should have been so stingy, that he was buried with his money.
Description
The ensemble has a floor area of five to ten meters. All eighteen thereon erected monuments are oriented to the east, like most other grave stones in this cemetery. Most striking is the almost lebensgro § e statue, which depicts Wooldridge, a 180 centimeter high figure in the center of the tomb of marble, which was made in Italy. Fourteen other statues that surround the statue Wooldridges are hewn from limestone and take a stiff poses. The largest of these is Wooldridge on his horse " Fop " represents the other limestone statues have a height of 120 to 180 cm, standing on 90 cm high pedestals and ask other family members dar. Behind it are replicas of a fox, a deer animal and two dogs who hunt these; the dogs figures are not given names, but represent the dogs Wooldridges, " Towhead " and " Bob". The respective sculptors from Mayfield and Paducah, neither before nor since created a similar complex or ambitious work.
The female statues representing Wooldridges mother Keziah, his sisters, Minerva, Narcissa and Susan, and his nieces Maud and Minnie. The male characters put his brothers Alfred, John, Josiah, and WH dar. There is no figure, representing the Wooldridges father.
The fence around the grave was erected by the local Lodge of Freemasons and replaced an old fence of iron. Wooldridge was a Freemason.
To go to this tomb, you have to go through another registered monument on the National Register, the Confederate Memorial Gates in Mayfield.
Gallery
Frontal view
Swell
- Susan Reigler: Mayfield: Remarkable monuments ( English ) Courier -Journal. 9. April 2006. Accessed on 10 June 2009.
- Camille Wells: Wooldridge Monuments NRHP nomination form., Frankfort, Kentucky1980.
- Wooldridge Monument: WF Wooldridge, ( sculpture ). ( English) In: Art Inventories Catalog. Accessed on 10 June 2009.