William Byrd III, a wealthy planter, politician and military officer, was facing financial problems and divided his estate in Richmond known as the Belvidere into several plots 100-acres in size for sale. The Harvie family bought several of these lots which became known as "Harvie's Woods." In 1847, Joshua J. Fry and William H. Haxall, visited
Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts. They were impressed with Mount Auburn and proposed the creation of a similar rural cemetery in Richmond. It was through their efforts and the subsequent cooperation of local citizens that Hollywood Cemetery was created. Fry, Haxall, and 40 other prominent Richmond citizens purchased 42 acres It was originally planned to be named Mount Vernon Cemetery, however Notman proposed the name Hollywood delivered the dedication address in 1849. Hollywood Cemetery became so popular, that by the mid-1850s, the city of Richmond implemented an
omnibus to transport visitors there every afternoon. A
streetcar line was added in the 1860s.
Confederate Memorial Day On May 31, 1866, Hollywood Cemetery held its first Confederate Memorial Day celebration, and over 20,000 people were in attendance. The celebrations "became imbued with cultural and religious symbolism that underscored the gravity of what it meant to be a southerner." The second Confederate Memorial Day celebration in 1867 at Hollywood Cemetery differed greatly from the one the year before. There were fewer marches and military bands and more women and children in attendance.
Other history In 1876, the
Gothic Revival stone structure designed to look like a ruined medieval tower was built at the entrance. It was expanded to include the chapel, office and receiving vault. The current Cherry Street gate was constructed in 1897 when the city raised Cherry Street by 5 feet, which also required the stone Gatekeeper's tower to be heightened. In 1915, the Cherry Street entrance was closed and the present one was opened to better facilitate cars. The cemetery expanded in 1877 with the purchase of an additional thirty-three acres along the river. On November 12, 1969, Hollywood Cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places. There are many local
legends surrounding certain
tombs and grave sites in the cemetery. One interesting grave of Florence Rees, a girl that died at 3 years old in 1862 of scarlet fever. The grave includes a cast-iron statue of a dog that stands watch over her. There is also the legend of
Richmond Vampire which purports that
William Wortham Pool, buried in the cemetery, was a vampire. In 2020, Hollywood Cemetery's board of directors banned the display of
Confederate flags in the cemetery due to its connection as a symbol of racism and the potential to provoke vandalism. A place rich in history, legend, and
gothic landscape, Hollywood Cemetery is also frequented by many of the local students attending
Virginia Commonwealth University. ==Notable burials==