Mr. Edward Henry Jennings died in 1923, but if old Pa Pitt had to guess, he would say that he had this fine Doric mausoleum built for him some years earlier than that. Mr. Jennings was apparently a Successful American, because he appears in a 1900 magazine with that title:
A typical family-plot arrangement of large monument and small headstones, but Father Pitt was struck by the harmonious design of the monument, which echoes the volutes of its Ionic columns in larger volutes on top. Three of the headstones also have matching volutes. Even the steps have carved volutes.
Unfortunately, those matching headstones became impossible to get, so more recent Henrys have had to make do with standard granite blocks. That is one of the sacrifices we make for the convenience of mass-production monuments.
John Henry died in 1902, and that is probably about the date of the monument.
A particularly tasteful statue of the Blessed Virgin was, when Father Pitt visited, pressed into service holding a twig wreath and a bouquet of artificial daisies. This unusual monument presides over a family plot of matching headstones. The earliest burial is “Our Geneva” (1883-1903), but from the style old Pa Pitt would guess that the monument is more likely to date from the death of her mother (1921) or father (1927).
A tasteful standard-model classical mausoleum, seen on an atmospherically misty morning. According to cemetery records, Wilhelmina S. Nickel was buried a few days after she died in 1928, so the mausoleum was probably put up for her while she was still alive.
At first glance this mausoleum gives one the impression that it is nothing more than a big box of dead Snyders. But the tasteful details and fine proportions reward a longer look. It is plain with the plainness of elegance, not with the plainness of efficiency. Next to it stands the Porter angel.
