Highland Cemetery

Highland Cemetery in Ypsilanti, Michigan is a 100-acre (40 ha) cemetery founded in 1864.[2][3] It was designed by Col. James Lewis Glenn in 1863.[2] The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020.[1]

Highland Cemetery
Cemetery entrance
Location943 North River St., Ypsilanti, Michigan
Coordinates42°15′26″N 83°36′37″W
Area50 acres (20 ha) (landmarked area)
Built1864 (1864)
Built byBatterson, Canfield & Co., Ames Manufacturing Company, Smith Granite Company
ArchitectCol. James Lewis Glen, Ray E. Bassett, Julius Hess, Mason and Rice, Donaldson and Meier, Herman and Simons
Architectural styleStick/Eastlake, Romanesque Revival, Late Gothic Revival, Classical Revival, Rustic
NRHP reference No.100005026[1]
Added to NRHPMarch 4, 2020

History

Ypsilanti had earlier cemeteries, established in the first half of the 19th century. However, by 1850 the city was expanding eastward, and in 1858 Mayor Chauncey Joslin proposed that the city purchase the plot that subsequently became Highland Cemetery. However, this move failed, likely over objections to using tax money to purchase the land. However, in 1863, a group of citizens formed the Highland Cemetery Association for the purpose of establishing a cemetery. They hired James L. Glen to draw up a plan, and in 1864 purchased the land and dedicated Highland Cemetery. By 1880, nearly 550 burial plots had been spoken for. In 1880, the ornamental gate was constructed in the front of the cemetery, and in 1888 a Richardsonian Romanesque chapel was built in the center of the cemetery.[4]

In 1901, additional property to the south was added to the cemetery. A short time later the entrance lodge was moved, and fieldstone piers added. A mausoleum was built in 1925. Further portions of the cemetery were platted as needed, and Highland Cemetery remains the primary burial place for the city of Ypsilanti. It is still operated by the Highland Cemetery Association.[4]

Description

Highland Cemetery covers about 50 acres, with a rolling, sloped topography which includes knolls, valleys, and ravines. A number of structures dating from 1880-1925 are included on the grounds. As designed by Glen, the cemetery features curved paths through stands of trees.[4]

The cemetery is the site of the Starkweather Memorial Chapel which was commissioned by Mary Ann Starkweather to honor her husband. The chapel, an example of Richardsonian Romanesque style, was designed by George D. Mason and completed in 1889.[3][5][6] There is also a Civil War memorial on the cemetery grounds, which an inscription says was also presented by Mary Ann Starkweather. The entrance to the cemetery is located at 943 N. River St.[7] The cemetery is located in a wooded area of oak, pine, cedar and willow trees.[2] The gates at the cemetery entrance are constructed of decorative wrought iron and measure 10 feet (3.0 m) high and 81 inches (2.1 m) wide.[5]

The Highland Cemetery Association, a non-profit cemetery company founded in 1863, owns and operates the cemetery.[2][8]

In 2009, the cemetery began sponsoring an ice cream social after the annual Ypsilanti Memorial Day parade which terminates at the cemetery.[9]

Notable persons interred at Highland
  • Starkweather Memorial Chapel
  • Cutcheon family gravesite
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References
  1. "Weekly List 20200306". National Park Service. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  2. Highland Cemetery Association (2010-07-13). "Highland Cemetery Association - Ypsilanti, MI". Manta.com. Retrieved 2011-05-19.
  3. "The Marker". Waymarking.com. Retrieved 2011-05-19.
  4. Robert O. Christensen (April 2019), National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Highland Cemetery
  5. "Highland Cemetery - The Gates" (PDF). Ypsilanti Gleanings. Ypsilanti Historical Society. Summer 2008. Retrieved 2011-05-19.
  6. "arctangent's Photos". Arctangent.smugmug.com. 2010-03-04. Retrieved 2011-05-19.
  7. "Washtenaw County, Michigan Cemetery Index Page". Rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved 2011-05-19.
  8. "Highland Cemetery Association". Lwfaaf.net. Retrieved 2011-05-19.
  9. "2nd Annual Memorial Day Ice Cream Social". AnnArbor.com. 2010-05-26. Archived from the original on 2012-03-10. Retrieved 2011-05-19.
  10. Eicher, John H.; Eicher, David J. (2001). Civil War High Commands. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1.
  11. Madonna, Paul (2011-05-13). "Review of "Rogue", a biography of Justus McKinstry". Powells.com. Retrieved 2011-05-19.
  12. "Highland Park Cemetery". Find A Grave. Retrieved 2011-05-19.
  13. Kestenbaum, Lawrence. "Washtenaw County, Mich". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 2011-05-19.
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