Major Walter Cushing fought with the Filipino-American guerrillas in WWII. I was introduced to him while reading, The Intrepid Guerillas of North Luzon. He kept evading the Japanese by pretending to be a Spanish priest. He was mestizo; half Mexican and half Canadian and could pass for Filipino. His battles against the Japanese were fairly successful but the day came when the Ganaps (pro-Japanese Filipinos) turned him in and gave away his whereabouts. Continue reading
My Dad used to take us for long walks around Downtown Manhattan. Whenever we’d pass by Chatham Square, he would bring us to Oliver Street and tell us the story of how he lived there with his family as a kid. Then he would walk us over to First Shearith Israel Graveyard and tell us to look at the sign – this is the first and oldest Jewish Cemetery in Manhattan. Continue reading
Greenwood Cemetery is a National Landmark cemetery in Brooklyn, NY. It was founded in 1938 and inspired by Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris and Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, MA. Henry Evelyn Pierrepont was the founder of Greenwood. His family the Pierrepont’s were farmers, merchants, landowners and developers in Brooklyn and New York State. Continue reading
The Unitarian Church, 2nd oldest in Charleston, is home to the United Universalist congregation, the oldest Unitarian church in the south. It was not built by Unitarians, it was built by the Society of Dissenters (sinister sounding but they aren’t scary at all) who needed more space to worship – they are known as the Circular Church. Walking down King Street in Charleston you will eventually stumble upon the old graveyard. It is overgrown except for the paths. Wildflowers adorn the graves and trees grow into the tombstones. It’s a beautiful cemetery and it’s said to be haunted. Continue reading
Christ Church Burial Ground is an early American cemetery in Philadelphia. Signers of our Declaration of Independence reside here, Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Russ, George Ross, Francis Hopkinson, and Joseph Hewes. The cemetery belongs to the Episcopal church founded in 1695 by the name of Christ Church. Continue reading
Savannah escaped burning during the Civil War but that doesn’t mean it didn’t leave scars. Colonial Park Cemetery became the campground for General Sherman’s troops. The Union soldiers looted and desecrated the grounds. It was established about 1750. Continue reading
This is the reason why we flew to Savannah – Bonaventure Cemetery.
We learned cemetery enthusiasts have a name – taphophiles.
Originally we planned on taking a cab to the cemetery so we could take our time and take pictures but we decided a tour would be less headache. We booked a tour with Dash Tours. (Looks like Don Teuton moved to another tour company called Bonaventure Don, click here for link.) We had the pleasure of meeting Don Teuton, a 5th generation Savannahian, future resident at the cemetery and a stickler for history. If you have a question about Savannah and it’s inhabitants or history, then he’s the guy to go to. He was also friends with Danny Hansford, a man who met an unfortunate end that was documented in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I have to read the book. I tried watching the movie but it was too slow for me. But the book cover photo of bird girl. She’s the reason why I’ve been wanting to visit for years. Continue reading
Savannah, Georgia is one of the most haunted cities in America. There are more dead than living in the city. There used to be a lot of cemeteries but due to erosion and development, many have been lost to history.
We didn’t know what to expect. We booked this trip on a whim to see a cemetery and decided to do something a little different – a ghost tour. This is how we met Adam from Philly, a SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) graduate, and tour guide with Blur Orb Tours. Continue reading
I’ve been in a cemetery mood. I just adore them. The weathered tombstones with dates that sometimes need deciphering, mausoleums more beautiful than any home I’d ever live in, the departed’s legacies withstanding years, decades, and centuries of erosion. Continue reading
Anyone who knows us knows we love cemeteries, abandoned places, creepy things and horror movies. We had to go to the catacombs in Paris. Continue reading
Jebus Mews & Andrea 