Breakfast & a Dirt Nap

One recent morning my friend Jean and I went to breakfast, followed by a walk. Jean & I get together every few weeks following my early morning AA meeting for some eggs and exploration. During the Christmas season we strolled Richmond's famous Monument Avenue after eating at Karen's Diner. The holiday decorations were lovely on many of the mansions, but my favorite expression of the season was the Christmas Caddy, a 1963 deVille bursting with toys, decorations, and a stuffed Santa at the wheel.


On our last outing, following our breakfast, we drove over to Hollywood Cemetery for a walk. On the way there, we passed through Virginia Commonwealth University, an urban campus. As we sailed down West Franklin Street, I pointed out the handsome mansion of Elisabeth Scott Bocock. It sits in the middle of modern-day VCU, but this was not the case when it was built by Mrs. Bocock's parents in 1907. It was then in the heart of one of the most fashionable neighborhoods of the wealthy.


Jean and I both attended VCU in the late 1970's, and I told her about peering in the dusty windows of Mrs. Bocock's carriage house when I walked through the alley behind her home. Mrs. Bocock was still alive then, and had a collection of antique carriages which could be seen (dimly) through the elaborate grillwork protecting the window glass. She allowed them to be displayed in selected parades and exhibitions, and following Mrs. Bocock's death her heirs donated them to Maymont's Carriage Collection, which she helped fund in 1975.


Elisabeth Scott Bocock (or ESB, as she also identified herself) was known as the loony old lady in the stone mansion when I was a VCU student, but as I've learned more about her I now know that she was an implacable force behind the preservation of many of Richmond's historic buildings and landscapes. You just can't stop a determined southern lady. I wish I had known her.


When we reached nearby Oregon Hill, we coasted through the gates of Hollywood Cemetery. It was a nippy but sunny day - perfect for a stroll amongst the dead. I should tell you right now that I love cemeteries, and have never found them scary or creepy. When I lived a couple of blocks from Hollywood in the mid-80's, I would often slip through a well-known hole in the fence to take my roommate's dog, Calpurnia, for a walk. Even in the gloom of night, I thought of this cemetery as my own personal parkland. I'm fairly sure that Daniela shares my affinity of old boneyards.


Hollywood Cemetery covers hundreds of acres, and sits on high bluffs overlooking the James River and Belle Island. There are over 75,000 people buried there, including 18,000+ Confederate dead. Designed in 1847 in the "rural" style, its roadways twist and wind under massive trees - including its titular holly trees. It is easy for a newcomer to get lost inside its walls, as I well know from my first visits in the late 70's.


We parked near President's Circle, but headed away from the tombs of James Monroe & John Tyler, and were immediately greeted by a magnificent tulip poplar in full bloom. We wandered through the headstones, agreeing that this was a great place to collect character names for stories, and read many of the epitaphs. I always enjoy talking with Jean about books, writing, history, and spirituality. We walked downhill to Mausoleum Row, where we saw an artist capturing on paper the beauty of the art-deco muse on the door of the Sauer family tomb. The funky music blasting from her car stereo added a lively note, but it wasn't loud enough to wake the dead.


We took a look at the graves of Jefferson Davis and his family. Poor old Jeff. Not only did he lead a lost cause, only one of his six children survived childhood. There are many notable figures from history buried at Hollywood, including J.E.B. Stuart, Matthew Fontaine Maury, Ellen Glasgow, and U.S. Supreme Court justice, Lewis F. Powell, Jr. There's also a local vampire associated with Hollywood Cemetery, and a midnight visit to the mausoleum of W.W. Poole was a rite of passage for VCU students when I lived on campus.


The terrain is quite hilly, and we soon climbed up to a row of graves high above the James River. We had a clear view of the rocky section of the river across from James River Park, and we paused to observe a bird just above us that seemed to be singing his heart out just for us. In addition to the winding roads, there are curving footpaths to explore. Clearly, this cemetery was created during a time when families enjoyed spending time with deceased loved ones. Many family plots have benches inviting visitors to rest their feet, before they take their own final rest. Each family lot is bordered by stone curbing, and some plots still have their original iron fencing. It must be a nightmare for the groundskeepers, because even a pushmower would be of no help, let alone a lawn tractor. Yet, the grounds are meticulously maintained from corner to corner.


Before we left, we spied a handsome Celtic cross at the crest of a distant slope. We could see, as we approached, that its stone was beautifully carved with scrollwork. As we stood at the base of the cross, I glanced over at a raised vault beside the monument. Serendipity had brought us, amidst thousands of graves, to the resting place of Elisabeth Scott Bocock, the eccentric old lady with the antique carriages. No longer a believer in coincidence, I determined at that moment to learn more about her. I am now reading an interesting biography of Mrs. Bocock, Never Ask Permission, and I'm sure I'll be writing about her soon on Planet Bill.


If you are ever in Richmond, please include a visit to Hollywood Cemetery. It is considered one of the most beautiful graveyards in the nation. You may click this link for an at-home tour of some of its highlights and history.