
This post is part of a monthly series that explores the historical applications of building materials and systems through resources from the Building Technology Heritage Library (BTHL), an online collection of AEC catalogs, brochures, trade publications, and more. The BTHL is a project of the Association for Preservation Technology, an international building preservation organization.
The ongoing civil unrest in response to longstanding racial injustice occurring across the United States prompted a conversation about the context of monuments and memorials, particularly those for military leaders of the Confederacy. While search results of the BTHL on the topics of “monuments and memorials” largely highlight tombstone companies, several noteworthy examples featuring larger mausoleums and civic-scaled memorials appeared. With Vermont leading the U.S. production of granite and marble, many of these companies emerged on the East Coast, but later examples featured Georgia marble and Minnesota granite.
Some of the featured larger memorials and mausoleums take the form of Classical Greek and Roman style “mini temples,” which can be found in major cemeteries across the country. The stylistic motifs of Classicism predominate until the 1930s when the movement to Modern architecture unleashes a fresh design vocabulary for monuments. While the modern tombstone remains a commodity purchase rather than a commissioned design, the evolution of monument and memorial designs in the 20th century is yet another topic that can be explored through the BTHL.
Monumental Design, Jacob Schumacher, Buffalo N.Y., 1860
This is the earliest monument publication in the BTHL and, although undated, is likely circa 1860. Most of the included designs favor monuments with only a few pages of more humble tombstones. “Custom designs for Cemetery work, such as Tombstones, Family Vaults, Mausoleums, and Monuments of all kind, from the plainest style up to the most perfect in beauty and grandeur.”
Tombstones, Charles Clements, Boston, 1888
This catalog contains nearly 100 tombstone designs but has one noteworthy large monument design that features a Civil War soldier on top. Monuments like this were erected across the country in public locations and recognized soldiers from both the Union and the Confederacy.
Modern Monuments and Where to Buy Them: A Book to Guide You In the Selection of Monumental Work, East Waverly Steam Granite Works, Waverly, N.Y., 1900
This guide to “modern monuments” is useful in its identification of the various types of tombstones, including “tablets, cottage and urn monuments, ball and cap monuments, shaft monuments and grave ledgers, statuary monuments, sarcophagi monuments, cross and column monuments, rustic monuments, and urn and column die monuments.”
Catalogue of Memorial Art in Granite and Marble, Sears Roebuck & Co., Chicago, 1906
This Sears Roebuck & Co. catalog offered tombstones in granite and marble, both of which were sourced from quarries in Vermont. The company offered competitive pricing with notes about eliminating the overhead and profit of multiple business levels through its direct to consumer marketing.
Price list of Rutland White, Vermont Blue, Sutherland Falls, Pittsford Valley, Pittsford Italian, Riverside, Brandon Italian, Vermont Marble Co., Proctor, Vt., 1919
This extensive catalog has hundreds of designs for marble tombstones with pricing and details. The best quality of statuary marble cost three times as much as the “Best No. 3” marble, the lowest quality sold.
Memorials: Today and Tomorrow, Georgia Marble Co., Tate, Ga., 1928
This reference guide is rather rare because of its use of quotes, poetry, and illustrations that amplify the importance of memorials. The text begins with a quote from art critic John Ruskin, “When we build let us think we build forever.” Most examples discussed are larger monuments rather than smaller tombstones. “The element of nobility and dignity, in architecture, is best expressed by impressive scale and monolithic construction.“
Almost Half a Century Devoted to Creating and Building Fine Monuments and Mausoleums, McNeel Marble Works, New York, 1932
The McNeel Co. claimed to be “America’s largest builders of marble and granite memorials.” This catalog includes many examples of glistening white marble mausoleums.
Monuments Tombstones and Markers, Montgomery Ward, Chicago, 1934
Montgomery Ward offered a simple line of tombstones in Vermont marble and granite. It also offered an “easy payment plan” and a “complete monument guarantee.”
North Star Monuments: Classic Designs, Second Edition, North Star Granite Corp., St. Cloud, Minn., 1948
The rather modest catalog features a granite monument ideal for a husband-and-wife burial plot. There are only minor stylistic treatments to the granite in a uniform size.
Book of Symbolic Emblems in Bronze, Sheidown Bronze Corp., Kingwood W. Va., 1960
This unusual catalog features cast bronze emblems that can be added to tombstones and memorials to provide an enduring statement of some facet of the deceased life. Religious emblems were common, but so were fraternal, military, employment, and even sports interests.