All people die. Death has been called the "great leveler" putting people from different social planes on the same level more so than how one puts on their pants. Decomposition of a human body is a given yet the methodology of disposal is highly variable laced with national and social context, changing and evolving over time as does the landscape in which the dead are laid to rest. Over the centuries Americans have taken many different paths in their journey to express grieve, acknowledge the dead, and mourn loved ones. Nowhere are these expressions of death and grief more evident than in the landscape of the cemetery - no matter where the location.
The cemeteries of the Comstock have a long and storied past to them. In the beginning of the development of the Comstock area, the deceased were buried, like most pioneers of the West, wherever it was convenient and the digging was easy. The first formal cemeteries on the Comstock were started in 1859 at Gold Hill. In 1860, near Virginia City, Mount Pleasant Cemetery was located on Flower Hill and a Catholic cemetery was developed on Scorpion Hill, shortly thereafter. Plat and field notes dated August 25, 1860 describe the boundary of the cemetery and note it as being ten (10) Acres in area.
These early cemeteries were places where people could visit their deceased family members and friends. These early cemeteries like most early cemeteries, served as the Comstock's first park-like areas. The cemeteries and those that followed provided areas for contemplation and relaxation from the stressful lives the Comstock afforded.
This is a collection of cemeteries, not a single cemetery. The collection is called Silver Terrace cemeteries. There are no "famous" people buried here-these are the graves of the miners, the shop owners, and the working people that helped to make others rich. The single largest threat to these cemeteries is theft and vandalism-now classified as a felony in the state of Nevada.
Turn Your "Clocks" Back to 1867 During the First Burial Here. What Would You See?
The cemeteries had Locust or Elm trees lining each main path and road. The grounds were clogged with vibrant flowers, soft shrubs, and grasses. The miners installed an "irrigation system" based on gravity. Water was the key to transforming the desert landscape more to their liking, more like home. Today you can still see Vinca and Lilac. The ground was covered in purple and white clover and the site was described as the most beautiful burial ground in the state of Nevada, a tiny garden. The pathways were graveled, and each cemetery surrounded by neat white picket fence-some of which have been replaced.
When the initial cemeteries proved too difficult to access, the site known as the Silver Terrace on the north edge of Virginia City was promoted for cemetery development. Silver Terrace was surveyed in December 1861 and January 1862 by S.H. Marlette, the County Surveyor, and contains 25¾ Acres and an additional parcel listed as 1/19 of an Acre.
Over the next several years, several cemeteries were developed on Silver Terrace for the various fraternal and religious organizations active on the Comstock. Cemetery Plats were developed for the Masons, International Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Exempt Firemen, and the New and Improved Order of Red Men. Each fraternal organization developed their own cemeteries for their members and their families.
The historic cemeteries of the Comstock in the state of Nevada represent a pivotal and important time in our nation's history. Often, cemeteries are the only remaining features left to remind us of the early settlements in the United States. The archaeology of cemeteries can help us tell a story about the social, economic, architectural preferences and norms of the day. The cemeteries represent our past, but for the current residents of the Comstock they also represent income from tourism. The cemeteries are a largest tourist attraction on the Comstock and nearly all of the employment in the area is dependant on tourism. For visitors to the cemeteries it is a chance to immerse themselves in history, beauty, and to contemplate the past.
The Comstock cemeteries were the first public usage areas within the bleak mining landscape. At their inception, these landscapes offered a sanctuary from the loud, dirty, and industrial environment of a mining city. The landscape is rich with tales of love lost, tragic deaths, wealthy merchants, common laborers and an international mix of immigrants that build the Comstock. The cemeteries present an opportunity to interpret burial and mourning practices across different cultures and time periods. Even today, these historic landscapes are still used for contemplation, solitude, and reflection.
The Comstock Cemetery Foundation has established the collection of cemeteries as an outdoor museum. This museum has a fence for walls, the outlying cemeteries as satellites, and collections of iron/stone work are always on display. The "collection" is always viewed in the original context and visitors are literally surrounded by rich and historic resources. Unlike a museum in a building, this is a place filled with signs that say, "Please do touch". This is a place that you can sense the emotions of those gone before us, you can see for 300 miles, breath fresh air, bring your children and your dog. In all aspects these historic resources are finite and deteriorating to the degree that immediate protection and preservation measures are required. Weathering, vandalism, theft, and inappropriate maintenance practices have all taken their toll.
The gravestones, monuments, memorials, grave surrounds and landscape plantings found within the historic cemetery landscape commemorate the lives of generations of immigrant workers and settlers. The gravesites provide an invaluable lesson in historic artistry and craftsmanship. The landscape is a demonstration, or perhaps even a tribute to the traditions of the stone, wood, and iron workers. Not just the artisans surround the visitor but the evolution of cemetery trends, symbolism and funereal iconography as well.
Evaluating the collection of cemeteries is approached as if it were made up of the rings on an old tree. Each element builds on itself and is related to another. First we study the plots, paths, graves, then the cemetery, and finally the full collection of cemeteries until the picture and evaluation is whole. It is a handshake between an important historic resource and the need to maintain its modern function. It is that challenge, that handshake, which is the crux of the preservation master plan.
The Caretaker's House
Thank you for the opportunity to provide more detailed information on the Comstock Cemetery Foundation (CCF) and our "Caretaker's House" project.
In the almost 15 years since we launched our mission to protect and restore the historic cemeteries of the Comstock, we have come to the realization that governments have little interest in funding our efforts...perhaps because dead constituents don't vote.
So when a third generation pioneer of the Comstock gifted an historic mining cottage (built circa 1870) to the CCF rather than tear it down, we knew that we would have to turn elsewhere to fund the relocation of this cottage onto CCF property and restoration as our "Caretaker's Cottage" and cultural center. The Comstock cemeteries have needed a public cultural center for a long time to help visitors with history, genealogy, tours, monument repair, and a host of other activities. This little house seemed a fitting way to reuse a building from the Comstock era-a theme we will try to continue as our design evolves.
