Lexington Cemetery

Lexington Cemetery

This photo comes from a website talking about the Lexington Cemetery and Henry Clay Monument.  It is of the Romanesque gatehouse and office of the Lexington Cemetery.  It was the very first rural cemetery located in Lexington, Kentucky.  This cemetery was first created in 1849 on only 40 acres of land and eventually expanded to 170 acres.  Also on the land features an arboretum and two large lakes that house many animals and critters.  The original gatehouse was built by John McMurty and torn down for the new Romanesque gatehouse to be built in 1890.  One of the most popular sites on the cemetery is the Henry Clay Monument, built in 1857, that is dedicated to Henry Clay, one of Kentucky's former senators and three time presidential candidates.  Other than being a senator and presidential candidate, Henry Clay is known for his attempt at securing a compromise between the states on the issue of slavery.  This monument is crafted from native limestone and is where Clay and his wife rest.  The design of the cemetery to this date resembles the original look of the cemetery and is kept up by many staff members.

Many famous and notable Kentuckians have been buried here throughout the years.  Many Union and Confederate soldiers lay to rest here along with veterans from the Spanish-American War.  Former vice president and general in the confederate army, John C. Breckinridge, under James Buchanan and John Lane Allen, author of "The Blue Grass Region of Kentucky" and "Flute and Violin," were buried here. 

A few questions come to mind as I read about the Lexington Cemetery.  First, why did they decide to build it in a rural area?  Second, why was John McMurty chosen to do the building and who is he?  Third, why were so many notable Kentuckians buried here instead of in other cemeteries?  Fourth, who was the architect for the Henry Clay Monument?