Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is a

rural cemetery A rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of cemetery that became popular in the United States and Europe in the mid-nineteenth century due to the overcrowding and health concerns of urban cemeteries. They were typically built one to five ...

located on Bedford Street near the center of

Concord, Massachusetts Concord () is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. At the 2020 census, the town population was 18,491. The United States Census Bureau considers Concord part of Greater Boston. The town center is near where the conflu ...

. The cemetery is the burial site of a number of famous Concordians, including some of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

' greatest authors and thinkers, especially on a hill known as "Authors' Ridge."

History

Sleepy Hollow was designed in 1855 by noted landscape architects

Cleveland and Copeland Cleveland and Copeland were a noted American landscape architecture firm. The firm was organized by Horace William Shaler Cleveland (H.W.S. Cleveland) and Robert Morris Copeland. They were responsible for Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachu ...

, and has been in use ever since. It was dedicated on September 29, 1855;

Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champ ...

gave a dedication speech and would be buried there decades later. Both designers of the cemetery had decades-long friendships with many leaders of the

Transcendentalism Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement that developed in the late 1820s and 1830s in New England. "Transcendentalism is an American literary, political, and philosophical movement of the early nineteenth century, centered around Ralph Wald ...

movement and is reflected in their design. "Sleepy Hollow was an early natural garden designed in keeping with Emerson's aesthetic principles," writes Joachim Wolschke-Bulmahn in his ''Nature and Ideology''. In 1855, landscape designer Robert Morris Copeland delivered an address he entitled ''The Usefull icand The Beautiful'', tying his principles of naturalistic, organic garden design to Emerson's Transcendentalist principles. Shortly afterward, Copeland and his partner were retained by the Concord Cemetery Committee, of which Emerson was an active member, to design a cemetery for the growing community. On September 29, 1855, Emerson delivered the opening address of the cemetery's consecration. In it he lauded the designers' work. "The garden of the living," said Emerson, was as much for the benefit for the living, to communicate their relationship to the natural world, as it was to honor the dead. By situating the monuments to the dead within a

natural landscape A natural landscape is the original landscape that exists before it is acted upon by human culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the kn ...

, the architects conveyed their message, said Emerson. A cemetery could not "jealously guard a few atoms under immense marbles, selfishly and impossibly sequestering

hem A hem in sewing is a garment finishing method, where the edge of a piece of cloth is folded and sewn to prevent unravelling of the fabric and to adjust the length of the piece in garments, such as at the end of the sleeve or the bottom of the ga ...

from the vast circulations of nature

hich Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...

recompenses for new life ach decomposingparticle." Known as Sleepy Hollow for some 20 years prior to its use as a cemetery, Emerson told his audience at the consecration ceremony that September day in Concord, "When these acorns, that are falling at our feet, are oaks overshadowing our children in a remote century, this mute green bank will be full of history: the good, the wise, and the great will have left their names and virtues on the trees... will have made the air tuneable and articulate." To realize their vision, Emerson noted that the cemetery's designers had fitted the walks and drives into the site's natural amphitheater. They also left much of the original natural vegetation in place, instead of removing it and replanting with ornamental shrubs, as was often the case. Several years after Emerson's address, a visitor to the new cemetery noted the abundance of wild plants such as woodbine, raspberry, and goldenrod, as well as the natural moss and roots of pine trees which were left

in situ ''In situ'' (; often not italicized in English) is a Latin phrase that translates literally to "on site" or "in position." It can mean "locally", "on site", "on the premises", or "in place" to describe where an event takes place and is used in ...

by the designers. The Melvin Memorial, also known as Mourning Victory, sculpted by

Daniel Chester French Daniel Chester French (April 20, 1850 – October 7, 1931) was an American sculptor of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, best known for his 1874 sculpture ''The Minute Man'' in Concord, Massachusetts, and his 1920 monume ...

marks the grave of three brothers killed in the Civil War. Several notable literary figures are buried on "Authors' Ridge". People are still being buried in Sleepy Hollow. The back of the newer portion of the cemetery leads to a path system which connects to the

Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge The Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a river wetlands conservation area, in two major parcels, stretching from the towns of Billerica, Massachusetts (downstream) to Wayland, Massachusetts (upstream), along the Concord River and Sudbur ...

Notable burials

*The Alcott family, including

Amos Bronson Alcott Amos Bronson Alcott (; November 29, 1799 – March 4, 1888) was an American teacher, writer, philosopher, and reformer. As an educator, Alcott pioneered new ways of interacting with young students, focusing on a conversational style, and av ...

( Transcendentalist, philosopher, educator), his wife

Abby May Abigail "Abba" Alcott (née May; October 8, 1800 – November 25, 1877) was an American activist for several causes and one of the first paid social workers in the state of Massachusetts. She was the wife of transcendentalist Amos Bronson A ...

(social worker, abolitionist), and 3 of their daughters:

Anna Alcott Pratt Anna Bronson Alcott Pratt (March 16, 1831 – July 17, 1893) was the elder sister of American novelist Louisa May Alcott. She was the basis for the character Margaret "Meg" of '' Little Women'' (1868), her sister's classic, semi-autobiographic ...

Louisa May Alcott Louisa May Alcott (; November 29, 1832March 6, 1888) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet best known as the author of the novel ''Little Women'' (1868) and its sequels ''Little Men'' (1871) and ''Jo's Boys'' (1886). Raised in ...

(author of ''

Little Women ''Little Women'' is a coming-of-age novel written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888). Alcott wrote the book, originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869, at the request of her publisher. The story follows the lives ...

'' and others) and

Elizabeth Sewall Alcott Elizabeth Sewall "Lizzie" Alcott (June 24, 1835 – March 14, 1858) was one of the two younger sisters of Louisa May Alcott. She was born in 1835 and died at the age of 22 from scarlet fever. Biography She was originally named Elizabeth ''Peabo ...

as well as Anna's husband

John Bridge Pratt John Bridge Pratt (June 16, 1833 — November 27, 1870) was the husband of Anna Bronson Alcott Pratt, the elder sister of novelist Louisa May Alcott. He inspired the fictional character John Brooke in his sister-in-law Louisa May Alcott's best kn ...

and their sons, John Sewall Alcott Pratt and Frederick Alcott Pratt with their spouses and Frederick's children *

Ephraim Wales Bull Ephraim Wales Bull (March 4, 1806 – September 26, 1895) was an American farmer, best known for the creation of the Concord grape. Biography Ephraim Wales Bull was born on March 4, 1806, in Boston, Massachusetts.

(creator of the Concord Grape) *

William Ellery Channing William Ellery Channing (April 7, 1780 – October 2, 1842) was the foremost Unitarian preacher in the United States in the early nineteenth century and, along with Andrews Norton (1786–1853), one of Unitarianism's leading theologians. Channi ...

( Transcendentalist and poet) *

James Underwood Crockett James Underwood Crockett (October 9, 1915 – July 11, 1979) was a celebrity gardener and author. Crockett is known as the original host of '' The Victory Garden'' on PBS television. Early life October 9, 1915, Crockett was born in Haverhi ...

(gardener and host of '' The Victory Garden'') *

Marc Daniels Marc Daniels (January 27, 1912 – April 23, 1989), born Danny Marcus, was an American television director. He directed on programs such as I Love Lucy, Gunsmoke, Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, Hogan's Heroes, and more. Life and career Da ...

(pioneer television director of ''I Love Lucy'', the original ''Star Trek'' series) *

(American Transcendentalist, essayist, lecturer, and poet) *

(sculptor of the

Lincoln Memorial The Lincoln Memorial is a U.S. national memorial built to honor the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is on the western end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., across from the Washington Monument, and is in the ...

) *

Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associated with that t ...

(author of ''

The Scarlet Letter ''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a work of historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym ...

'' and others) *

Sophia Hawthorne Sophia Amelia Hawthorne ( Peabody; September 21, 1809 – February 26, 1871) was an American painter and illustrator as well as the wife of author Nathaniel Hawthorne. She also published her journals and various articles. Life Early life S ...

(American painter and illustrator) * Frederick Heyliger (Officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment) *

Ebenezer R. Hoar Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar (February 21, 1816 – January 31, 1895) was an American politician, lawyer, and jurist from Massachusetts. He served as U.S. Attorney General from 1869 to 1870, and was the first head of the newly created Department of Jus ...

(19th-century politician) *

George Frisbie Hoar George Frisbie Hoar (August 29, 1826 – September 30, 1904) was an American attorney and politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States Senate from 1877 to 1904. He belonged to an extended family that became politically prominen ...

(19th-century politician) * George Washington Hosmer (Unitarian minister and President of Antioch College) *

Ralph Hosmer Ralph Sheldon Hosmer (March 4, 1874 - July 20, 1963) was Hawaii's first territorial forester, a contemporary of Gifford Pinchot who was among the group of educated American foresters that organized what is now the United States Forest Service. Hos ...

(first territorial forester of Hawaii) *

Edward Holton James Edward Holton James (November 18, 1873 – October 3, 1954) was an American socialist and, later, fascist. He was the nephew of philosopher William James and novelist Henry James. Biography James was born in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, to Robert ...

(socialist) * Harriett M. Lothrop (founder of

Children of the American Revolution The National Society Children of the American Revolution (NSCAR) is a youth organization that was founded on April 5, 1895, by Harriett Lothrop. The idea was proposed on February 22, 1895, at the Fourth Continental Congress of the National Socie ...

, author of children's books, widow of publisher

Daniel Lothrop Daniel Lothrop (August 11, 1831 – March 18, 1892) was an American publisher.''The National Cyclopaedia of American biography'', Vol 8 (1898) James T. White & Company, New York Biography Daniel Lothrop was born in Rochester, New Hampshire, Ro ...

, friend of

Julia Ward Howe Julia Ward Howe (; May 27, 1819 – October 17, 1910) was an American author and poet, known for writing the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and the original 1870 pacifist Mother's Day Proclamation. She was also an advocate for abolitionism ...

and the

Alcott Alcott is a surname of English people, English origin. At the time of the British Census of 1881, Retrieved 25 January 2014 its relative frequency was highest in Herefordshire (18.2 times the British average), followed by Warwickshire, Glamorgan, S ...

family) *

Richard Marius Richard Curry Marius (July 29, 1933 – November 5, 1999) was an American academic and writer. He was a scholar of the Reformation, novelist of the American South, speechwriter, and teacher of writing and English literature at Harvard Universi ...

(

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

historian and Southern novelist) *

Robin Moore Robert Lowell Moore Jr. (October 31, 1925 – February 21, 2008) was an American writer who wrote '' The Green Berets'', '' The French Connection: A True Account of Cops, Narcotics, and International Conspiracy'', and with Xaviera Hollander and ...

(author of ''

The Green Berets The United States Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force of the United States Army. The Green Berets are geared towards nine doctrinal mis ...

'', '' The French Connection'' and other books) *

Ralph Munroe Ralph Middleton Munroe (April 3, 1851 – August 20, 1933) was an American yacht designer and early resident of Coconut Grove in south Florida. His home, now The Barnacle Historic State Park, is the oldest house in Miami-Dade County still stand ...

(yacht designer and pioneer of South

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

) *

Elizabeth Peabody Elizabeth Palmer Peabody (May 16, 1804January 3, 1894) was an American educator who opened the first English-language kindergarten in the United States. Long before most educators, Peabody embraced the premise that children's play has intrinsic de ...

(education reformer) *

Katherine Kennicott Davis Katherine Kennicott Davis (June 25, 1892 – April 20, 1980) was an American composer, pianist, arranger, and teacher, whose most well-known composition is the Christmas song "Carol of the Drum," later known as " The Little Drummer Boy". Life a ...

(composer of

The Little Drummer Boy "The Little Drummer Boy" (originally known as "Carol of the Drum") is a popular Christmas song written by American composer Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941. First recorded in 1951 by the Trapp Family, the song was further popularized by a 19 ...

) *

Franklin Benjamin Sanborn Franklin Benjamin Sanborn (December 15, 1831 – February 24, 1917) was an American journalist, teacher, author, reformer, and abolitionist. Sanborn was a social scientist, and a memorialist of American transcendentalism who wrote early biograp ...

(author and social reformer) *

Harriette Lucy Robinson Shattuck Harriette R. Shattuck (, Robinson; December 4, 1850 – March 24, 1937) was an American author, parliamentarian, teacher of parliamentary law, and pioneer suffragist. Shattuck served as assistant clerk of the Massachusetts House of Representative ...

(author, writer on parliamentary law, suffragist) *

Mary Lemist Titcomb Mary Lemist Titcomb (May 16, 1852 – June 5, 1932) was a librarian who developed an early American bookmobile and helped establish a county library system in Washington County, Maryland. Early life and career Mary Lemist Titcomb was born in Far ...

(founder of the Bookmobile) *

Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817May 6, 1862) was an American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher. A leading Transcendentalism, transcendentalist, he is best known for his book ''Walden'', a reflection upon simple living in natural su ...

(American Transcendentalist, philosopher, essayist, and lecturer) * Mary Colman Wheeler (founder of the

Wheeler School Wheeler School is a private school located on the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island, United States. The school serves students from the preschool level through twelfth-grade. History Early history In 1889, an art school for girls was establ ...

) *

George Washington Wright George Washington Wright (June 4, 1816 – April 7, 1885) was a Californian politician. He was the leading vote getter in a November 1849 at-large election for California's two seats in the United States House of Representatives following Ca ...

(California's first representative in Congress)

References

External links

*
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery websiteFriends of Sleepy Hollow website
{{Authority control Concord, Massachusetts Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Cemeteries in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Tourist attractions in Concord, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Concord, Massachusetts Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Rural cemeteries

History

Notable burials

See also

References

External links