In the 19th century, many Americans living in up-and-coming cities and towns oftentimes found themselves strolling through the winding paths of curated gardens, stopping to rest under the shade of a tree and share a picnic with family and friends. Dotted across the grassy areas were headstones, marking the burial locations of those who were laid to rest. While the concept of relaxing in a graveyard seems a bit taboo in the present day, it was sometimes the only option for people to find space for recreation and leisure and was one of the earliest examples of a public park. Many of the parks we have today were actually caused by the evolution and planning of historic cemeteries.
In this era, death was more frequent as waves of disease swept the world and people had shorter life expectancies. The emphasis on death was an idea something people were more accustomed to and comfortable with—it was viewed more as a deep sleep, and visitations, including picnics and larger celebrations at a grave site, were an accepted way to keep someone close to their family.
Until 1831, modern cemeteries didn’t exist in the United States. After the construction of a large burial ground in Massachusetts, many other cities began to create distinct separations for where the living and the dead would reside, while still inviting the public in. Hard boundaries, including landscaped features and fences designated when we could enter and visit these spaces, at their convenience.
By the end of the 19th century, many cemeteries featured entrance gates to mark where one world ended and another began. Many people saw the benefits of this type of separation, noting that it also deliberately created large areas of grass where people could relax. Extravagant statues and headstones created picturesque views, resembling more of a sculpture garden at a museum than a final resting place. People began to flock to cemeteries for picnics, hunting, and even carriage racing. Due to their popularity, many cemeteries began creating maps, issuing guidebooks, and posting rules for visitors.
At the same time, burial grounds associated with churches were seen as unsanitary, expensive, crowded, and dangerous. Hundreds of burials took place on small plots of land, often resulting in coffins stacked on top of one another—sometimes seven high. When heavy rains came, they sometimes broke open and spilled into the street. This only further popularized the large cemeteries that were designed more as parks.
At the turn of the 20th century, cities continued to become more crowded, and land values skyrocketed. Ideas began shifting about how space should be used, and people began prioritizing private amenities instead. Cemeteries were seen as less of a priority, especially when pop culture began to portray the “creepy” side of spending time among the dead. New cemeteries were planned to be located on the outskirts of town, allowing for much larger spaces where burials could occur and keeping them away from where most people were living.
City planners and policymakers began to see the need for public parks that did not also serve as cemeteries and began to carve out small spaces where people could participate in leisurely activities. Some burial grounds, including Washington Square Park in New York City, where more than 20,000 people were laid to rest, were completely covered and transformed into public gathering spaces.
While for the most part, many cemeteries do not permit large public gatherings, some have reinvented themselves as historical areas where visitors are free to re-discover their park-like qualities. Newer cemeteries have even rebranded themselves as memorial parks, with less emphasis on the taboo aspects and more on carrying on the memories of those who have passed.
