The Hays family mausoleum received its first residents in 1904. The stained glass is striking, and the combination of arch and “modern Ionic” columns is elegant.
-
Hays Mausoleum, Homewood Cemetery
-
Thomas Noble and Sarah Coleman Miller Monument, Allegheny Cemetery
Sarah Coleman Miller is marked as “Founder of Womens Hospital of Pittsburgh.” If this is a predecessor of Magee-Womens, it is interesting to note that the institution still cannot afford an apostrophe after all these years.
The monument itself is unique, a romantic impression of a classical arch. The details are classical, but the arrangement of them is entirely fantastic, like a half-remembered dream of an ancient temple.
-
Miskiewicz Mausoleum, St. Adalbert’s Cemetery
There is one splendid mausoleum in St. Adalbert’s, a Polish Catholic cemetery, and it stands out not only for being the only one in the cemetery, but also for not closely resembling any other mausoleum in Pittsburgh. It looks as though it was built by Polish craftsmen who decided they could build a mausoleum as well as anybody, and went ahead to prove that they could. The result is a style that is hard to describe, so Father Pitt will go ahead and name it “Polish Ionic.”
The wooden doors are not original; as usual, the bronze doors were stolen (a fine picture of the original doors is here). One wonders how it is possible that metal recyclers ask no questions when scruffy-looking men bring in huge bronze doors on the back of a broken-down pickup. At any rate, someone deserves great credit for replacing the doors rather than simply bricking up the entrance with concrete blocks, as has been done to nearly all the mausoleums in the South Side Cemetery next door. Old Pa Pitt would not have chosen the diagonal boards, and he would have painted the doors verdigris color.
The Polish language is mysterious to Father Pitt, so he does not know what the initials Ks. Wł. stand for. There are no records for St. Adalbert’s Cemetery. According to the Carrick and Overbrook Wiki, “The caretaker, who was fired, took all the records with her and either destroyed them or kept them. She has since died and the records are gone.” That Wiki page also has pictures of the beautiful gate that was removed only a few years ago.
-
Henry Monument, Chartiers Cemetery
KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA 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.
-
Niemann Mausoleum, Homewood Cemetery
KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA A standard Ionic temple, undistinguished perhaps but very elegant.
