John Maynard Davis Video Tease!

I recently did a blog post on John Maynard Davis, the first independent insurance agent in the United States. Go check it out here!

Before There Was Geico There Was... John Maynard Davis!

Over the course of this semester myself and a group of my classmates were tasked with researching a Church Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina as a team. We chose the St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery. For the end of the semester we were also asked to research one of the people buried at our Cemetery. Attached is a walk through of the St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery taken by me.

Although there are several notable graves in this Cemetery, I decided to learn more about John Maynard Davis. I chose Mr. Davis because his picture stuck out to me as I was scrolling through Find A Grave for a suitable research choice. Attached to the entry for Mr. Davis' grave on Find A Grave there was not only a photo of his headstone but also a portrait. I decided that I would like to find out more about it.

The miniature of John Maynard Davis
Photo from Find A Grave

The portrait attached to John Maynard Davis' was painted by Vallée, Jean François de la around 1805. It is a miniature water color painting that is currently on display at the Gibbes Museum of Art. It is on credit at the Gibbes Museum as a transfer with the Charleston Museum. 

John Maynard Davis himself was an insurance agent for The Phoenix Insurance Company of London according to North Carolina Business History. He was born in 1755 and was an England nfative. In the The Charleston Museum Quarterly, it states that Mr. Davis was the first agent in Charleston from the Phoenix Insurance company and was appointed on June 19th, 1805. This means that John Maynard Davis was the first independent insurance agent in the United States. Mr. Davis also made out a policy on June 1, 1806 that hangs in the office of the Equitable Fire insurance Company, Number 49 Broad Street. 

In a genealogical record of the Richardson and Buford families it is noted that Cordelia Moncrief married Mr. Davis in Charleston and they lived and resided there, however, they had no children. Cordelia Moncrief was a descendant of Captain William Richardson, however, I was unable to find her grave. 

Photo of John Maynard Davis headstone courtesy of Find A Grave

John Maynard Davis is buried in the St. John Lutheran Church Cemetery with what appears in the photos on Find A Grave under a ledger. However, his grave could also be a box tomb as it looks to be raised. Mr. Davis died on May 27 1827 when he was around 71. There is a long epitaph on John Maynard Davis' grave, however, it is difficult to make out.

Photo of Mary Moncrief courtesy of My Heritage

 A unique aspect of the headstone is that it carries not only the grave of John Maynard Davis but also Mary Eliza Moncrief. There was a Mary Moncrieff but no where is it listed that Mary Eliza may be the wife of John Maynard Davis. Upon looking up Mary Eliza Moncreif  it is listed on my heritage that she was to married Robert Smith McCart. 

Photo of John Maynard Davis headstone courtesy of Find A Grave

In the MOOD to learn about a silversmith?

A belt buckle made by Peter Mood Sr.
Photo from The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts

I'm sure you've heard the expression 'born with a silver spoon in your mouth.' However, when Reverend John Mood was born on January 11th, 1792, he took the expression a little more literally. American silversmiths lists his father, Peter Mood Sr., as a silver smith in Charleston South Carolina. Peter would serve as a master to John when he decided to apprentice as a silver smith. John would eventually join his father as a partner at Peter Mood & Son and then Peter Mood & Sons.

A photo of a silver ladle made by John Mood and Peter Jr. Mood
from The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts website

The Reverend was not the only silver smith in the family; his brother Peter Jr. was also a member of the long line of German silver smiths. The three men, father and both sons, worked together until Peter Sr. died in 1821 and the business dissolved. According to The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts the boys had several short lived partnerships before joining back up in business together in 1834. This partnership was dissolved by financial issues and a robbery by an employee. John decided to go into business for himself while his brother moved to New York.

A slave badge from 1835, made by John and Peter Mood Jr.
Photo from Greenwood

At the time the brothers were living in Charleston, the city required all slaves who were hired out by their owners to wear and carry a slave badge at all times. In 1832, John and Peter Mood Jr. won the contract to make all of the slave badges for the city. The badges, however, were not made of silver, instead they were made of copper or tin. They received the bid for this contract several times over the years.

Photo of John Mood
Courtesy of Patrick Harwood's blog

Greenwood  claims that John Mood was born as a Lutheran but later converted to Methodism and became a Methodist minister. Despite making the badges that marked African Americans as slaves, Mood joined Methodism at a time when many members of the faith was opposed to slavery. He decided to violate strict South Carolina laws by teaching black Methodist ministers to read and write. He also established a Sunday school for black children that he ran by himself. 

Photo of Mood's stamp courtesy of American Silver Smiths

A photo of Mood's grave courtesy of Find A Grave

John Mood lived out his life in Charleston and died on March 1st, 1792 at age 72. He is buried at Bethel United Methodist Church Cemetery in Charleston. Mood's work can be traced by his stamp on the silver works he created. In addition to slavery badges and silver creations, John Mood also produced Calvary and weapons for The American Civil War. In the book, American Silver-Hilted, Revolutionary and Early Federal Swords, Mood's products are advertised as "silver or gilt hilted sabersscabbards."

William Benjamin Durm : Oysterpreneur Presentation Video

I recently did a blog post on William Benjamin Durm, my great grandfather.

Check out the video introduction to my project and the blog post here!

The Forgotten Grave

Walking through Cougar mall students notice a lot of things. For starters, the beautiful scenery, with paths surrounded on all sides by historic buildings and incredible trees. Of course there is also the College of Charleston's iconic cougar mascot statue. However, possibly the most interesting thing in Cougar mall is a plain, unremarkable headstone. This headstone belongs to none other than Elizabeth Jackson, mother of the seventh president of the United States, Andrew Jackson.

A photo of Elizabeth Jackson's grave in Cougar Mall

You might wonder "Why is this grave marker in Cougar mall of all places?" The logical answer would be that she was buried beneath this headstone, but that proves not to be the case. Not only is this not Mrs. Jackson's grave but no one really knows where she's buried.

According to the Downtown Charleston Graveyards blog Mrs. Jackson was traveling with friends from Waxhall, North Carolina delivering medication to a British prisoner ship when she fell with fell ill with cholera and didn't recover.

The original grave marker was placed "in and about the forks of Meeting and Kingstreet Roads." This is according to a letter written to Andrew Jackson written by James H. Witherspoon. The information in this letter was reported by Post and Courier journalist, Robert Behre.

There is clearly plenty of mystery surrounding Elizabeth Jackson's death especially because there are no pictures of her. The details around her death are conflicting with one source, roadside america claiming that she died of smallpox not cholera. Yet another source, Women History blog agrees that is was cholera.

Women History Blog also states that Mrs. Jackson died in the home of Agnes Barton in her best dress. The claim continues saying she was buried in a simple unmarked grave on a hill. Andrew Jackson was desperate to find his mothers bones in order to bury them beside his father and mother but he never succeeded. 

In 1949, a marker was placed in Old Waxhaw Presbyterian Cemetery. Her death is commemorated not only by her headstone but also by a statue erected of her in Charleston. 

William Benjamin Durm: Oysterpreneur

William (on the left) with his two brothers

My great grandfather William Benjamin Durm Junior was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland until later in life when he bought a summer home in Annapolis, Maryland where my family has been residing ever since. He was born in 1895 to William Benjamin Durm Senior and Annie M. Goldeisen who were both German immigrants. He had three siblings, John, Oremalee, and Cornelius.

William's house in Baltimore.

William as a young boy

A can from William B. Durm's Oyster packing company

William began his working career as a bookkeeper and it wasn't until 1950 when he went into business for himself that his life really began. He opened an oyster packing business in Baltimore, however during the summer they did not have refrigerated storage on trains, so he was unable to ship oysters.


His clever solution was to convert the business into produce distribution. This switch proved to be incredibly lucrative and he shipped most of his produce all the way to Ohio by train, turning his small company into a multi-state business.

A photo of the summer home William owned in Whitehall Beach

There is a single road leading back to Whitehall Beach, the community where William bought his summer home in Annapolis. William would make long treks from Baltimore to Annapolis on the weekend and became frustrated with the dirt road.

To solve this frustration he brought large quantities of oyster shells by boat with him to Whitehall and lined the dirt road. Broken oyster shells at the time were a similar equivalent to gravel. This was a huge benefit to the community that would later become his permanent home after he retired. 

A portrait of a young William B. Durm Jr.

Prior to the Great Depression, William received a call from a friend warning him of the closing of banks across the country. William was able to retrieve some of his savings, but not all and like many other Americans, he lost a great deal. He became extremely despondent.

A photo of the young couple: William and Mary "Agnes"

Long before he made his dive into business, William was married to Mary Agnes Veihmyer in 1915. They had three children together.

William's three children later in life (middle three)
Noel, Oremalee "Lee", and William III

His first son was William B. Durm III, was born in 1919. William III died of colon cancer on Saturday, June 6th, his 74th birthday.

His daughter, Oremalee was named after William Junior's sister, also named Oremalee and was born on January 20th, 1930.

Noel Elson Durm, the youngest son and my grandfather was born November 23rd, 1931. My grandfather, Noel E. Durm described his father as "a tyrant in strictness but a good family provider."

William (left) on a cruise to Cuba

William was not only adventurous in his career endeavors but also in his personal life where he loved to travel and was able to visit Cuba several times before Castro began his reign.

A picture of one of William's boats,
The "Will-Lee-No" named after
his children.

Proving to be a daredevil, my great grandfather fell in a motorcycle accident and lost his eye which was replaced with a glass eye. An avid boater, He once replaced a boat engine with one from  an airplane.                   

A picture of the
grave of William B. Durm III.
The grave also includes the graves of
William B. Durm Jr. and his wife, Agnes.

After living a long and prosperous life, William died in 1965 at age 70 from an intestinal blockage. He is buried beside his wife, his
brother, Cornelius and his sister, Oremalee at Parkwood Cemetery in Parkville, Maryland.

His grave, originally a small footstone was added to a large die in socket when his son, William B. Junior III died. The new die on socket grave has William Jr. and his wife Agnes' graves added at the bottom. A large portion of the Durm family is also buried at Parkwood
Cemetery.

The front entrance of Parkwood Cemetery
in Baltimore.

The original Mausoleum at the back of
Parkwood.

A view of some graves along a hill in
Parkwood.

Parkwood Cemetery and Mausoleum is a private cemetery established in 1919 and is 

home to famous professional baseball player,

Albert William Rubeling. 

Symbol Searching at Bethel United!

This past week my FYE class took a field trip to Bethel United Methodist Church's graveyard. As we walked through the night on paths surrounded by gravemarkers, we were tasked with identifying what ten symbols and icons that were carefully carved into the stone could mean.

The exterior of Bethel United Methodist Church.

Bethel United Methodist Church has been a longstanding icon in the City of Charleston for over 200 years. It has graced the corner of Calhoun and Pitt Street since 1797 and was known for serving both black and white members until 1852 when the original church building was pushed westward on the lot facing Calhoun Street to accommodate a larger building. 

The old original structure moved to 222 Calhoun Street in 1882, and was donated to the African American members of the congregation. Old Bethel United Methodist Church serves as Charleston's oldest standing Methodist Church building.

Using my "Stories Told in Stone" book by Gaylord Cooper, I was able to identify and interpret several of the symbols that I saw on the gravemarkers. I also used the awesome stoneletters blog and "In the Arms of the Angels" by Patrick Harwood to decipher the symbols.

One of the first gravemarkers that caught my eye was for "Anna" who was the "beloved wife of Rev. A.M. Chrietzberg.

Anna's grave was decorated with a wreath and a dove above it. According to "Stories told in Stone" the inclusion of a wreath on Anna's grave could symbolize victory and redemption and dates back to ancient Greece.

The dove above the wreath is an important symbol in Christianity that represents the Holy Spirit. It is symbolic of purity, devotion, and divine spirit. The bird appears to be in flight which means "winged soul." This representation of the soul goes back to ancient Egypt. This is often used on the graves of children, however, this is not the case on this gravemarker so it could represent eternal life.

Although it is difficult to see due to the degradation of the stone, this gravemarker features a lamb. The lamb is the most common animal symbol found on the grave of a child. The lamb is a symbol of Christ and was used in religious art that pre dates Christianity and was even used by the Egyptians.

The lamb can indicate purity, innocence, and Christ in his sacrificial role. This all personifies gentleness and humility.

One of my favorite symbols that I stumbled across in the graveyard of Bethel United Methodist Church was a weeping willow adorning the headstone grave of "James." The weeping willow according to author Gaylord Cooper in "Stories told in Stone" can represent Nature's lament as well as sorrow and morning.

The very well kept headstone grave of Priscilla Sarah Eason stands against the wall of Bethel United Methodist and features an ornate carving of a crown surrounding a cross at the top of the stone.

The inclusion of a crown on a cross means sovereignty of the Lord which is the Christian teaching that God is the supreme authority and all things are under his control.

A particularly large bedstead grave of William H. Fleming features both an open book on top of a draped pedestal and a wreath made of what appears to be pansies. There are also four pansies adorning the four bottom corners of the bedstead.

The open book refers to a literate person and sometimes a scholar. The book can also be symbolic of faith or the book of life. The double page spread of a book is a very popular depiction.

The drapery under the book is indicative of sorrow and mourning.

The wreath made of pansies is associated with someone who has attained distinction in the arts, literature, athletics, or the military which makes sense when paired with the open book.
The pansies themselves are meant to symbolize remembrance and humility.

Several of the graves in the graveyard at Bethel United Methodist featured angels in flight. I've included pictures of two with this symbol; the fallen die in socket of Elizabeth M and the die in socket grave of Rebecca Jane.

Angels are agents of God and they are often pointing towards Heaven. These angels are often shown escorting the deceased to Heaven. When pictured flying as they are in these two photos, the angels are symbolic of rebirth.

The footstone grave of Francis W. Capers is quite simple with the only distinguishing feature being a small cross surrounded by a circle. This encircled cross was adopted by the Christians and is known as the universal symbol fo eternity and never ending existence.

My Ancestor of Choice

In our FYE class we are beginning a Personal Ancestor Research project. I have chosen to write about my great grandfather on my mothers side, William Benjamin Durm. I chose to write my project on William because I currently only have one living grandparent, my moms father. My moms father is a wealth of knowledge about his father and I am still able to talk to him about it. William was also a prominent businessman so there are far more records on his life than my great grandmothers.

A Walk Through Charleston's Churches

During Our FYE class on February 10, 2020 our class walked around historic Charleston and explored the many churches it has to offer. While we were walking, we were tasked with choosing our favorite sites. We went to churches of all denominations ranging from Catholic to Lutheran to Episcopalian. In this blog post I am going to showcase a few of my favorites from the visit.

The magnificent Second Presbyterian Church

#5 
The Second Presbyterian Church at 342 Meeting Street was founded in 1809. The Presbyterian denomination was formed as dissenters from the Church of England and the community in Charleston consisted of English, Irish, Scottish, French Huguenots and Independent Presbyterians and worshiped together in the White Meeting House.

In 1731, twelve families withdrew from the Meeting House and established the First Presbyterian Church modeled completely after the Church of Scotland. The Church grew rapidly and soon there was a need for a Second Presbyterian Church. The Second Presbyterian Church of Charleston is the oldest edifice of the denomination in Charleston.

The Second Presbyterian Church was built on land donated the Wragg family and designed by James and John Gordan in Classic Revival Architectural style. The building is hard to miss with beautiful fanlight windows, dominating columns, and an incredible tower above. I have this Church on my list of favorites because I found the almost completely white structure simple and powerful. I really liked the entryway to the Church as it felt like you were walking to a grand build up of the structure. The Church is secluded in Wragg Square and includes benches and places to relax and walk which I thought was refreshing in the busy packed in city. 

St. Michael's Church at night during class

#4
St. Michael's Church located at 142 Church Street immediately stuck out to me because it is an Episcopal Congregation. I was raised and baptized Episcopalian and although I am not an active practicer of the faith, I still consider the church close to my heart. The first stone to the Church was laid in 1751 and construction was complete by 1761. Besides the addition of the sacristy in 1883, the original structure remains mostly unchanged. The large steeple atop the Church is one of the tallest points in Charleston at 186 feet high with a 7 1/2 foot weather vain.

The architect of the Church is unknown however the building is constructed in a similar style tradition of Sir Christopher Wren which was used during the Colonial period all the way through Gothic revival in 1841. The Church has several distinguishing features such as the clock tower and ringing bells which is thought to be the oldest functioning colonial clock tower in the country. Also sticking out to me were the beautiful stained glass windows. I chose to add this Church to my favorites list because of its special place in my personal religious history. 

The front of St. Mary's Catholic Church
including its distinguishing cross.

#3
The next Church on my list of favorites is St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church at 89 Hasell Street. The St. Mary's Roman Catholic stands out with its Greek revival style architecture completed in 1839. I was unable to find the architect of the structure. 

One of the incredibly unique and infamous parts of the Church is a portrait of St. Peter with six toes on his right foot. This painting is one of the twenty three painting adorning the walls painted by Caesare Porta of Rome. The Church's entrance is dominated by columns and an intricate wrought iron gate.

The Church, although slightly more simply done than my previous two favorites, includes a wooden cross facing the street on the roof. This feature although simple is my favorite part of the exterior. I chose this Church because of the unique simplicity. Catholics are known for their grandeur and I thought that this Church was different in its dedication to faith. 

The grand entrance to the French Huguenot Church

#2
If you have ever been to Charleston then the French Huguenot Church at 136 Church Street is a must see. This church is so close to the top of my list because of its vibrant and decadent exterior. The structure is framed by two palm trees at the front and I can only describe it as castle like. The French Huguenots came to Charleston as a group of 45 French protestants aboard the ship Richmond. The original Church was constructed in 1687 but was destroyed by fire. The current Gothic Revival structure was designed by Edward Brickell White and dedicated in 1845.

The Church also boasts a tracker organ that was almost lost when federal soldiers dismantled it after the fall of Charleston in 1865. However, the organ was saved by the pleas of organist, Mr. T.P. O’Neale, and some influential friends. The organ is in shape of a Gothic chapel with keys connected with the pipe valves by a wooden “tracker’ or mechanical linkage which responds to the organists touch faster than any modern mechanism allows. It was built by the leading American organ builder of the first half of the nineteenth century, Henry Erben.  I loved large frontal facing windows and the stunning wooden door. My favorite feature on this Church was the breathtaking color.

The front facade of the Circular Congregational Church

#1
Closing out my list I have the Circular Congregational Church at 150 Meeting Street as my number one favorite. The current Circular Congregational Church was built in 1892 designed by Stephenson and Greene of New York City and inspired by Henry Hobart Richardson. It has quite a colorful history. 

The current building is done in Romanesque style which was quite modern for 1890. The Church has an adjoining churchyard which is the oldest burial ground in the city. It is because of the original meeting house at this location that Meeting Street gets its name. The old circular Church structure was ravaged by fire in 1861 and had to be rebuilt, creating the current standing building. 

I chose this Church as my favorite because it is so uncommon looking. The different building style has made it so famous that I knew the name of this Church long before coming to school in Charleston. This church is also among the oldest that we saw on our walk and I found the history of it to be alluring. 

Charleston's Most Valuable Resource : Ruth Miller

On the first Monday of February, our FYE had the privilege of hearing from Duke University graduate and local Charlestonian, Ruth Miller. Miss Miller has been a tour guide for over 40 years, a job that led her to her graveyard interest. It was during a tour where Miller had a busload of morticians that she would make the discovery. The morticians immediately bypassed the Church she had brought them to visit and darted for the graveyard. They brought Miss Miller into the graveyard with them and began explaining things which "sparked her interest."

Miss Miller has been an educator for many years at all different levels which made her lecture very colorful and engaging. Her talk explored the rich roots of Charleston's graveyards referring to them as the "foundation of this historic city." Miller claims that it was three important offers that drew masses to Charleston way back in the 18th Century. She states "free land, freedom of religion, and the law that a gathering of any seven people to be considered a recognized religion" as the reason that Charleston grew so rapidly and contains more 18th-century graveyards then any other city in the United States. Miss Miller explained to us that these offers were made by Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper who was given the colony of Carolina by King Charles II.

Miss Miller in action during our lecture!

Miller's talk was sprinkled with several fun and interesting facts about Charleston, graveyard history, and more. If you're a Star Trek fan, you'll be shocked to learn that Leonard Nimoy's Spock hand symbol is derived from his Jewish heritage! She also informed us that only Charleston contains a Huguenot Church! The flow of information was so smooth as Miller explained that the blend of cultures in Charleston had such a strong religious base. She effortlessly touched on how the Quakers, Anglicans, Quakers, Congregationalists, and Baptists flocked from a tyrant England to build their congregations in Charleston. Miller moved on to the influence that each nationality brought aside from religion, letting our class know that we have Scottish Presbyterians to thank for a round of 18 holes as they brought golf to the South.

A picture of the tomb etching
my partner and I read to the class.

During the lecture, we had a chance to take a look at some of the gravestone etchings that Miller brought with her. She explained to the class that the terminology used on old graves can sometimes have different meanings than what we would interpret today. She pointed this out when a student read the name of the deceased as "Daddy Tom." Miss Miller explained that Charleston was "largely African American and the center of the English slave market" but it "lacks any strictly African American burial sites which speak of the disparity of equality in the 18th century. The name Daddy Tom would have been in reference to a slave versus a father figure like we would assume today.

However, it was Miss Miller herself that was the most interesting part of her lecture. Being one of the most accomplished women in Charleston did not come easily as Miller has written several books including Touring the Tombstones, The Angel Oak Story, and Witness to History: Charleston's Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon. If you would like to find more information on Ruth Miller and all of her amazing work check out her amazing work on her Website!

Ruth Miller holding up her books!

 

Graveyard scavenger hunt!

   On Monday, January 27 my FYE class went on a sort graveyard game of hide and seek to identify different types of headstones. We visited both the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul and St. Patrick Catholic Church graveyards or Churchyards as they are sometimes called.
   Although the outdoor adventure was brisk and a bit spooky I found the history of the assignment very interesting. I have passed by both the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Patrick Catholic Church everyday on my walk to class at the College of Charleston and never batted and eye, in fact I never even realized there was a graveyard located at the Cathedral.
   The Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul is an Anglican Church. Anglicanism began during the English reformation but can be traced back to the early Church. The religion is a blend of Christianity that has traditions in Reformed, Catholic, and Evangelical. The Cathedral itself was founded in 1816 by planters and built by the hands of slaves.
   The land for St. Patrick Catholic Church was bought in 1828 by Bishop John England and on St. Patrick's day 1838 the first cornerstone of the Church was laid. The Church was finished by December. During the Civil war, the Church went bankrupt and a new Reverend, Daniel J. Quigley was appointed in 1884. Quigley's first move was to purchase the land on the Northwest corner of St. Phillip street and Radcliffe Street. The earthquake of August 31, 1886 came shortly after but this did not deter the Reverend and work on the Church was finished 1899. The Reverend, Daniel J. Quigley himself is buried in one of the tombs in front of the Church! In 1967 Immaculate conception and St. Peter's Churches were closed. These parish's which served predominantly African Americans conjoined with St. Patricks. Fast forward to 1978 and Reverend Egbert Figaro became the first black priest to serve in the Charleston area.
   Below I have attached some pictures of the graves I saw in the graveyards our class visited.

A mausoleum at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul graveyard.
This gravesite had no names, plaques, or birth/death dates. The mausoleum is done in greek style architecture and has two statues on either corner of the roof. It is hard to tell what these statues might mean as they are not a common grave symbol. 

A sarcophagus at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul graveyard.
This tomb is particularly interesting because it is the only sarcophagus in the Cathedral Church's graveyard. The tomb itself is very unique because it has claw feet. The feet could be lions feet. The lion is a symbol of the power of God or a guardian of the tomb for watchfulness and strength. The tomb is also very small which could suggest that a child is buried there. There is no writing on the tomb so I could not tell the name of who was buried there or the timeline of their life. However, on the top of the tomb is a very simple cross which is a symbol of Christianity. 

A die on base grave marker at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul graveyard.
Noellee Dawson is buried here. She was born on December 25th, 1884 and died on January 5th, 1954. This grave marker included two flowers and stems to accompany. The flower engravings are very abstract and artistic so it is hard to specify the type of flower, however I believe that they could be morning glory flowers which symbolize mourning, mortality, and a farewell. I thought that this was the coolest grave we saw but my reasoning is slightly biased. I liked this grave because the name of the deceased was Noellee which is just one letter off from my name, Noelle!

An obelisk grave marker in the graveyard of the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul.
Unfortunately, the photo cuts off the top of this grave, however it is a very simple and traditional example of an obelisk with a pointed triangle top. Philip Porcher and  Catherine Cordes are buried here. There is no birth date, death date, or epitaph. However, interestingly enough the grave marker states that the deceased were members of St. Stephen's parish which is the parish that would later join with St. Patrick Catholic Church, which our class also visited. 

A pedestal tomb urn at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul graveyard.
This grave is imprinted with a shield outline around the epitaph but is not a family crest. This is unique because it is often seen on government issue civil war type graves. Martha Lavinia is buried here. Her epitaph reads "Sacred - to the memory of Martha Lavinia - consort of John H. Tucker. Born August 1838.. (illegible)" I was able to make out another date of 1867 which I am assuming is her death date. The grave marker also includes a draped urn which is meant to symbolize immortality. The cloth is seen to guard the ashes.

A ledger grave marker at the St. Patrick Catholic Church.
This is the marker of the remains of Lyn Tilan (last name may be an incorrect interpretation) and Andrew (last name illegible). Unfortunately, the photo in the took photo that I took most of the epigraph is unreadable. This grave is unique in that it has a Cross surrounded by a circle which could be a version of a Celtic cross. Circles symbolize eternity and crosses are a symbol of Christianity. The carving at the top of the stone is what appears to be two people kneeling - possibly praying. Above them is another cross and it appears that they are kneeling in front of a table or a tomb. This may be the people buried or those praying for them and the inclusion of another cross definitely means Christianity. 

A die base and cap at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul graveyard.
There are no names, death/birth dates, or epitaph. The Cap of this marker is particularly elaborate with what almost appears to be an urn at the top, however the stone carving is too small. 

A box tomb at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul graveyard.
This box tomb is very simple and includes on engravings, names, death/birth dates, or epitaph. 

A broken column grave marker at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul graveyard.
I really wanted to include this grave marker, however, due to my poor photography skills it is very hard to make out what is written on the base. The reason I wanted to include this grave marker is because it is a unique example of a broken column which is a symbol of a life cut short meaning someone died at a young age or in the prime of their life.

A very small and square headstone in the graveyard the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul.
This grave could have possibly been a die on base that sunk into the ground, however there is no base present currently.
Mary Taylor who was born on May 3rd, 1841 is buried here. She died on April 10th, 1929. This is a very impressive lifespan especially for the time period that she was born in.