What began in 1899 as a standard rusticated temple in the “modern Ionic” style was expanded in 1973 by the very unusual addition of left and right wings, where the crypts are accessible directly from the outside. The bronze doors have grilles with a striking passionflower pattern. According to the cemetery’s Web site, Mr. Robert Davidson King made his fortune in county government, which was a profitable business in those days.
An unusually fine Pietà tops this monument, which stands at the edge of a steep hill with a stunning view of the Monongahela valley below.
A rustic boulder with an angel in high relief presides over matching rustic headstones. It probably dates from about 1899.
The more one looks at this column, the odder it seems. One can only describe the style as “Egyptian Gothic.” The main column has an Egyptian capital, as do the smaller columns at the corners of the base; but the form of the base is Victorian Classical-Gothic. The statue on top holds the rope of Hope’s anchor in her left hand; she also holds something in her right hand, but Father Pitt has not been able to figure out what it is.
A statue, perhaps of a wingless recording angel (writing “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord”), tops a tastefully simple classical monument.
