ANDERSON — West Maplewood Cemetery is a beautiful repository of loved ones and a stone library of architectural memorial styles.

From the simple rectangular slabs of the early 1800s, through the ornately decorated carvings of the Victorians, to the stone blocks of the early 20th century, West Maplewood provides a walk through the fashions and culture of the past.

Overlooking White River, West Maplewood was started in the early 1860s and was initially called “City Cemetery.” The new burial ground for Anderson not only accepted the remains of residents but also was used for the re-interment of the Tharp Cemetery, originally located along Delaware Street.

The oldest stones

Some of the oldest stones from earlier cemeteries are on the west side of the drive. James Tharp’s stone from 1846 is an excellent example of the Federal Period’s severe styling. This is a large tablet-type marker, almost 3 feet high and 5 inches thick, of brown granite. Granite, while hard to cut, retains the incising better than the softer white stone used in the last half of the 19th century.

Even the weeping willows and urns at the top are still beautifully visible after 160 years. The urns represented mortality or the body’s decay.

A lamb, another popular symbol, on an adult’s stone stood for resurrection and on a child’s, innocence. James is buried next to his parents, Collins and Esther Tharp.

Like James, they have tall tablets. Both the James Tharp and the Collins Tharp families are listed on the 1820 census for the area. They would have been among the very first residents of Anderson and also among those re-interred in the new City Cemetery.

A softer side

Starting in the late 1840s, a soft white marble became more popular than the granite used previously.

The marble was easier to cut and therefore could take more intricate designs. While the Federal style was straight and severe, the Victorians of mid- and late 19th century enjoyed curved lines and an abundance of decoration.

Mollie Brown’s gravestone is an excellent example of high Victorian style. The outline and forms are flowing and include acanthus leaves, ribbon, and rose. The rose represents triumphant love. As well as being decorative, the ribbon and leaves stood for pride and victory. Personal data was sometimes etched on the incisor’s scroll of paper, a shield, or a medallion, and, for the Victorians, the more decorations the better.

It was customary to use a much smaller stone, often with a lamb or angel, for the graves of young ones. The ornate stone for 1-year-old Lillian Doxey is complete with stacked rocks, paper scroll and lilies. The lilies stand for purity or chastity, and this variety was used so often at funerals and on markers that it is now sometimes referred to as a “death lily.”

The obelisk rises

Another popular shape of marker was the obelisk — whether short and small for a child or enormous for a wealthy citizen. The simple styling belies the Victorian’s fondness for symbolism.

Obelisks represented the spiritual connection between heaven and earth.

The simple tablet

By far, the most common style of grave marker used in the first two-thirds of the 19th century for the average citizen — especially for those living in less affluent, rural areas — is the small, simple tablet.

In the late 1880s and ’90s, styles began changing from the ornately decorated markers of the Victorians to the Edwardians’ less ornate blocks and pillars.

Honoring veterans

Many cemeteries from the 19th century have government grave markers which signify veterans. Sometimes the government stone would be placed beside the individual’s traditional marker, and so the departed has actually two head stones, one from the family and one from Uncle Sam.

Such is the case for the Berry family. Nineveh Berry was one of Anderson’s first prominent citizens. He was the son of city founder John Berry, and additionally he was a military man. He served in Indiana’s armed forces, attained the rank of colonel, and was always referred to by that title. He was appointed Sept. 8, 1847, for duty in the Mexican-American War and saw action in several battles. Later for the Civil War, Nineveh Berry enlisted, in spite of his advanced age, and served until his health was compromised. He died in 1883 at about 79 years old.

In the family plot for the Berrys at West Maplewood, the marker for Nineveh and his wife, Hannah, has a round column representing noble lives.

Their personal data is on the north and south sides of the square base. The stone to the right is the government issue marker signifying Nineveh Berry’s service in the Civil War. The obelisk to the left is for Nineveh and Hannah’s son James who was killed in the Civil War in 1862. The engraving above James’s personal data depicts the flames of a fire. This symbolized James’s religious fervor.

Unique marker

The most unique grave marker at West Maplewood is that for Gertrude Pauline and Charles Ingersoll Hilligoss, who both died in the 1880s. They were brother and sister and are buried next to each other.

The statues are actual stone portraits of the children, commissioned by their physician father. The statues face busy Grand Avenue and can easily be seen by travelers.

“The Children” have become something of a landmark in the north Anderson area. The statues are always decorated with the appropriate symbols and garlands for the holiday or season. One does not have to be a relative or cemetery commissioner to appreciate the people who have come before.