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Forest Hills Cemetery

Nestled at the foot of a mountain, Forest Hill is a tranquil resting place a world apart bustling Chattanooga.

By The Taphotourist

It‘s a long, old road but I know I‘m gonna find the end. ― Bessie Smith

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Started on January 5, 1880, Forest Hill Cemetery supports the graves of over 100,000 people, with hundreds of graves being added every year. It is a huge 105 acre plot of land nestled at the foot of a mountain just outside Chattanooga.

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This cemetery is well kept by volunteers. Spruce trees, wildflowers, Dogwoods, Azaleas, and fruit trees flourish here and cuttings from rarer species are transplanted all over the country.

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An annual History Stroll is hosted in Forest Hill. Actors wear period clothing to represent legendary interred Chattanoogans and even speak to visitors in character. This event raises money for the cemetery’s upkeep.

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Forest Hill’s historical graves boast scores of Civil War veterans, industrialists, Reconstruction Era African Americans (when graves were still segregated - a relic still visible at the cemetery, though no longer practiced), and children from the Vine Street orphanage.

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The monuments of Forest Hill are as varied as its occupants, representing Gothic and Victorian styles with classical and modern art influences.

Footnotes

I have a great love for cemeteries and the various kinds of graves around the world.

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FootNotes

I have a great love for cemeteries and the various kinds of graves around the world.

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Forest Hills Cemetery

Nestled at the foot of a mountain, Forest Hill is a tranquil resting place a world apart bustling Chattanooga.

FootNotes

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Built on Donation Land Claim land just before the wagons started rolling, McHargue is home to some of Oregon's earliest trail settlers.

Locked cemeteries led me instead to explore the meaning behind the shrines that dot Thailand's roadsides. Here, a sampling from a local province.

Never far from home, the graves on Rarotonga in the Cook Islands are lovingly cared for and an important part of the landscape.