NEWS FROM FRIENDS OF HOLLYWOOD CEMETERY
A Gateway
Into History
WWW.HOLLYWOODCEMETERY.ORG
SPRING2015•VOLUME6,NUMBER1
MikeVanYahres
F
A Third-generation Arborist Tends Hollywood’s Trees
orMikeVanYahres,there’snothingquitelikeseeingthe
worldfromthetopofoldshadetrees—likethosefoundat
HollywoodCemetery.
“They’resobig,andtheviewsfromthemarespectacular.The
branchesaresobigthey’relikewalkways,”hesays.Someof
Hollywood’streesareover200yearsold.
AsHollywood’sarborist,heoverseestheneedsofthetrees
inthe135-acrecemetery.Hepaysspecialattentiontothe
cemetery’smonarchtrees,whichhedescribedas“good,
respectablespecies,over36inchesindiameter,withaprojected
lifespanof30yearsormore.”Hisfavoritesincludeatulip
poplarthatisthelargesttreeinHollywood,a140’baldcypress
inLongBottom,andablackguminthecenterofthecemetery
thatis“arealshowstopperinfall.”Thetree,whichresemblesa
bonsai,turnsabrilliantorangeandredatthattimeofyear.
Hisfirm,VanYahresTreeCompany,firstbeganworkingwith
Hollywoodin1990.Perhapsthefirm’sbiggestchallengetodate
wasthedamageproducedbyHurricaneIsabelinSeptember
2003.
“Wehadlostover100maturetrees.Itlookedlikeawarzone.
Thereweretreesdowneverywhere,”saysDavidGilliam,
generalmanagerforHollywoodCemetery.Thestormhitona
Thursday,andhecontactedMikerightaway.Thefirstorder
ofbusinesswastoprovideaccesstoanopengrave.“Wehad
afuneralscheduledfortheMondayafterthehurricanehit.A
hugeoakhadfallenontheopengrave.”ByFridayatnoon,a
VanYahrescrewwasalreadyclearingapathtothegravesite.
Thefuneralproceededasscheduled.“Thissplendidreactionhas
beenahallmarkofservicebyVanYahres.”
A bucket truck can reach as high as 65 feet.
Mike’sgrandfather,George,startedtheVanYahresTree
CompanyinupstateNewYorkin1919.Muchofhiswork
involvedtravelingupanddowntheEastCoast,preserving
ancienttreesontheestatesoffamiliesliketheDuponts,the
Firestones,andtheRockefellers.Aninnovativearboristwho
heldseveralpatents,hewasalsoverysuccessful.“Duringthe
‘30s,hehad75trucksworkingallovertheEastCoast,”says
Mike.
(continued on page 2)
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Volunteer
Rose
Day
Superintendent’s
House
Tokukichiro
Abe
Abe’s
Monument
Overlooks
Enhance
Viewing Locations
Virtual
Tour
Mike Van Yahres (continued from page 1)
In1923,Georgewasoneofthearboristshiredtohelpsave
thetreesofMonticello—aclientoftheVanYahresCompany
thatremainstothisday.Georgelikedthearea,andrelocated
thebusinesstoCharlottesvillein1949.
andinstitutionsinterestedintheveryhighestcaliberof
work.”HisinstitutionalclientsincludeEmory&Henry
College,MarthaJeffersonHospital,UniversityofRichmond
andSaintCatherine’sSchool.
George’sson,Mitch—Mike’sfather—alsojoinedthefirm.
HewasthefirstVanYahresengagedbyHollywoodCemetery,
andmadeanassessmentofthecemetery’sapproximately
2000treesin1994.Inadditiontohistreework,Mitchserved
astheMayorofCharlottesville,andwasinstrumentalinthe
developmentoftheDowntownMall.Healsoservedinthe
GeneralAssemblyfrom1981-2005.Togetawayfromthe
pressuresoftheday,hewouldgooutintothefieldandgrind
stumps.“Thatwastheonlytimehewasunreachable,”says
Mike.
VanYahresTreeCompanyisamemberoftheprestigious
TreeCareIndustryAssociation(TCIA),andallofitskey
employeesarecertifiedbytheInternationalSocietyof
Arboriculture.ThecrewsatHollywoodengageintree
pruningandremoval,environmentally-friendlypestcontrol
andmanagement,andnutrientenrichmentofthesoil.The
latterincludesinjectinghumusintothegroundtostimulate
anenvironmentsimilartothatofforestfloors.Thecompany
alsoprovideslightningprotectionformonarchtrees.
Growingup,Mikewastoldnottoclimbtrees.“Myfather
wouldnotallowmetoworkinthefield,”hesays.Unableto
resisthisyouthfulurge,hefoundasympatheticconspirator.
Hiscrewsalsoprovideexpertiseinrecognizingwhentrees
needtoberemoved,eitherforpoorhealthortoprotect
monumentsandotherstructures,andwherenewtreesshould
beplanted.
“Anyrecommendationforanewtreeinvolvesavery
thoughtfulprocess,”saysDavidGilliam.“Whenyouplan
andplantanewtreeinHollywoodyouneedtobethinking
100yearsdowntheroad.”
MikederivesaspecialpleasurefromhisworkatHollywood
Cemetery.“What’srewardingisthatit’sprobablythe
finestcollectionoftreesinoneconcentratedareathat
you’reliabletofindinthispartoftheworld,”saysMike.
“Itisawonderfulexampleofamature,nativeforestina
maintainedlandscape.”Photographs courtesy of Van Yahres
Tree Company.
A grapple log loader (made in Austria) is used to lift
and load logs into a truck.
“Thesuperintendentwouldsneakmeoutthereon
Saturdays.”Hefondlyrecallsonesummerwhen,asa
collegestudent,heworkedhiswayacrossthecountryasa
treeclimber.
Mike,whoholdsaMaster’sdegreeinLandscape
ArchitecturefromtheUniversityofVirginia,beganworking
forthefamilybusiness30yearsago.(Inadditiontothetree
company,Mikeandhiswife,Peggy,alsoownalandscape
architecturefirm,VanYahresStudio,whichmergedwith
Richmond-basedBCWHArchitectsinFebruary2013.The
studiohasprovidedvaluableassistancetoHollywoodwith
itsmasterplanandotherprojects.)
Althoughhenolongerclimbstrees,Mikeenjoysworking
withhiscompany’sclients,whohedescribesas“individuals
FRIENDS OF HOLLYWOOD
A tree has been cut down section by section. The pink strap has been
connected to a crane (off the photo) which will lift the massive trunk
section into a truck.
Page2
SPRING 2015
March21,2015
Volunteers Give TLC to Hollywood Roses on Work Day
“I
loveoldroses,”saidSuzanneMiladin,amemberofthe
SalisburyGardenClub.“Igetmyrosefixcominghere.”
Miladinwasoneofthe29volunteerswhogatheredatPalmer
ChapelonthemorningofMarch21,readytotakepartin
Hollywood’sThirdAnnualRoseWorkDay.Thehelpers-manywearingsunhatsandgloves,andarmedwithclippers
andloppers--wereeagertogetthecemetery’srosesreadyfor
spring.
Hemenwayrecalledthefirstyearoftheproject,when“some
oftherosesweresixfeettallandsoovergrownyoucouldn’t
walkbetweenthegraves.”Thankstotheworkthevolunteers
accomplishedthatday,shefoundthenextyear’sworkmuch
easier.
Newcomersworkedsidebysidewithexperiencedgardeners,
likeAlMinutoloandLynnPappas,whoshowedthemtheropes.
Hilkerprovidedthegroupswithanalcoholspraytocleantheir
clippersbetweenroses,toavoidspreadingdisease.Orange
flagsmarkedthelocationsoftheroses,makingthemeasyfor
thevolunteerstofind.
Atnoon,thegroupgatheredforaSallyBelllunchprovidedby
FriendsofHollywoodCemetery,beforeheadingbacktowork.
Manyofthevolunteersplannedtoreturninthespringtovisit
therosesand“seethefruitsofourlabor,”asHemenwayputit.
“Lastspringandsummer,theroseswerebeautifulasaresultof
theattentionthattheyhadreceivedduringthefirsttwoannual
volunteerdays,”saidHilker.Tothehelpersthatgatheredthis
March,shesaid,“Ithankyou,andHollywoodthanksyou.”
2015 Rose Day volunteers gather in front of Palmer Chapel.
“ThankyouforgivingusyourSaturdaymorning,”saidevent
organizer,ConnieHilker,tothegroup.Hilker,theownerof
HartwoodRosesnearFredericksburg,hasoverseenthework
daysinceitbeganin2013.Aspartofhertask,shehascarefully
mappedandkeptdetailednotesonallofthe140rosesat
HollywoodCemetery.About110weretargetedforthisyear’s
workday,includingmanyantiquevarieties.
Accomplished rosarian Al Minutolo mentors new Rose Day
volunteers--Barbara and Joe Brancoli.
RoseWorkDayisheldeachyearonthethirdSaturdayin
March.“Wewelcomeanyonewhohasanappreciationforthe
rosesatHollywoodtojoinus.“Noexperienceisnecessary,”
saysHilker.
A map of notable trees and roses in available to visitors in the
Hollywood Cemetery office.
Members of the Richmond Rose Society gather before work begins.
Aftergivinginstructionstothevolunteers,shedividedthem
intoteams.Eachteamreceivedaredbinderthatheldamap
alongwithdetailedinformationandpruningtipsforeach
assignedrose.
Somevolunteerswerefirst-timers,likeRileyHawkins,who
arrivedwithhisgrandparents,PamandJu-JuHawkins.Others
suchasAlesaHemenwayandCarolineTisdale—friendssince
theiryearsatVirginiaTech--haveworkedeachyearattheevent.
FRIENDS OF HOLLYWOOD
Page3
Hollywood Rose Day Volunteers
March 21, 2015
Tracy Anderson
Julie Ashman
Barbara Brancoli
Joseph Brancoli
Lisa Caperton
Pat Cash
Martha Davidson
Laura Deck
Julius Hawkins
Pam Hawkins
Riley Hawkins
Alesa Hemenway
Connie Hilker
Denny King
Jenny King
Grace LeRose
Candy Lindenzweig
Kathy Maitland
Suzanne Miladin
Al Minutolo
Catharine Moser
Sharon Pajka
Lynn Pappas
Carolyn Pegram
Debbie Priebe
Dean Siwiec
Caroline Tisdale
Nanette Whitt
Richard Whitt
SPRING 2015
120YearsOldin2015
The Superintendent’s House in Hollywood
Boasts Some of the ‘Quietest Neighbors in Town’
By Doug Childers/Homes Correspondent with the Richmond Times-Dispatch
M
ostpeoplewhohavevisitedRichmond’sHollywood
Cemeteryhaveseenthesuperintendent’shouse.Itstands
justinsidethegate,anelaboratefantasythat’sguaranteedto
provokeadoubletake.Fewvisitorsknowitsstory,though.And
evenfewerknowhowcloseitcametodemolition.Together,
alocalpreservationgroupandayoungcontractorsavedit,
againstallodds.Andoncetheywerefinished,itbecamea
modelforhowtheypartneronpreservationprojectstoday.
Backin1894,though,thepiecesforthesuperintendent’shouse
werejustcomingtogether–literally.HollywoodCemetery
officialshaddecidedtoreplaceasmalldwellingthathadbeen
“usedbythesuperintendentforanumberofyears,”saidJohn
O.Peters,authorof“Richmond’sHollywoodCemetery.”Inits
place,theyplannedtobuildaQueenAnne-stylekithouse.Kit
houses,whicharrivedviatraininnumberedpiecesandwere
assembledon-sitebylocalbuilders,werepopularintheUnited
Statesduringthelate19thandearly20thcenturies.
Assemblingtheornate,4,800-square-foothouseinHollywood
Cemeterymusthavefeltalittlelikeassemblinganespecially
elaborate3-Dpuzzle.“QueenAnne-stylehousesoftenfollowed
aformula,andyouseeithere:acornertower,awraparound
porchandafrontgabledsectionbesidethecornertower,”
saidChrisNovelli,anarchitecturalhistorianwiththeVirginia
DepartmentofHistoricResources.“QueenAnnewasthe
FRIENDS OF HOLLYWOOD
culminationoftheVictorianstyles,andthishousehasallthe
bellsandwhistles.”Withaneyetothenovelandpicturesque,
architectsworkingintheQueenAnnestyle“soughttodissolve
flatwallsurfaceswithrecessedsleepingporchesthatpushin
andtowersthatpushout,”headded.“Theydon’tgetmuch
fancierthanthesuperintendent’shouse.”
Thehouse,basedonadesignfromtheKnoxville,Tenn.basedGeorgeBarberCo.,wasassembledin1895,Peters
said.“GeorgeBarberwasoneofthemostpopularmail-order
architects,andhisdesignsareregardedasamongthemost
flamboyant,”Novellisaid.“Thesuperintendent’shousewas
DesignNo.61fromBarber’scatalogueofhousedesigns.”
Thesuperintendentlivedinthehouseforseveralyears,but
bythe1980s,thehousewasvacantandinpoorcondition.
Maintainingthehousewascostly,and“thecemetery’sboard
didnotwishtoallocatefundstotheupkeepofthehouseatthe
expenseoffundstocareforthecemetery,”saidDavidGilliam,
thecemetery’sgeneralmanager.Cemeteryofficialsconsidered
demolishingthehouse,andwordoftheplansreachedHistoric
Richmond,anonprofitorganizationdedicatedtopreserving
historicRichmondproperties.Cemeteryofficialsagreedtolet
HistoricRichmondconductafeasibilitystudytodetermineif
thehousecouldbesaved,andworkonthestudywrappedupin
1987.
H
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Bythen,thecemetery’sboardofdirectorshadagreedto
considersigningalong-termleasewithadeveloperwho
waswillingtorenovatethehouseasanapartmentbuilding.
However,aplantoraisefundsfellthrough,andthehouse
edgedclosertodemolition.That’swhenClarkGlavé
gotinvolved.Atthetime–itwas1991–theRichmondbasedpreservationcontractorwas29yearsold,andthe
superintendent’shousewouldbethebiggestprojecthehad
undertaken.Buthisfather,asuccessfularchitect,encouraged
himtopursueit.
Glavépresenteddrawingsandhisbusinessplantothe
cemetery’sboardofdirectors,andtheygavehimtwoweeks
toraise$150,000fortheproject.“Ithinktheyweretiredof
dealingwithit,”Glavésaid.
Page4
(continued on page 5)
SPRING 2015
A
WiththehelpofHistoricRichmond,whichguidedhimtoward
potentialinvestors,Glavésoldfivesharesfor$30,000apiece,
andHistoricRichmondgavehiscompanya$100,000loan
tocovertherestofthe$250,000renovation.Withthefunds
secured,Glavésigneda30-yearlease(withanadditional
20-yearoption)thatgavehiscompany,ArkConstruction&
DevelopmentCorp.,therightstorenovatethehouseandcollect
rentonthestructure’sfournewapartments.
Thencamethehardpart:Bringingthehousebacktoitsformer
glory,nearlyacenturyafteritsconstruction.“Itwasn’tin
imminentdangerofcollapse,butitwasinbadshape,”Glavé
said.Theroofleaked,theplasterwallshadgapingholes,and
partsofthehouse(includingthewraparoundporch)were
breakingawayfromtheframestructure.“Wehadtouse
aircraft-gradecableandturnbucklestopullthehousetogether,”
Glavésaid.Hemanagedtosavesomeoftheinterior’soriginal
trim,though,alongwithseveralpanesofartglass,twofireplace
mantelsandthepocketdoorsdownstairs,alongwithseveral
decorativeelementsonthehouse’sexterior.
“Ifsomeoneweretowanttoturnitbackintoasingle-family
residence,itwouldn’tbehard,”saidGlavé,whocelebratedhis
30thbirthdayinthehousejustaftertherenovationprojectwas
complete.
“Clarkisamagicmaker,”saidMaryJaneHogue,executive
directorofHistoricRichmond.“Thatwashisfirstprojectwith
HistoricRichmond,butwegethimtodomostofourwork
now.”(Currently,HistoricRichmondandGlavéarerenovating
severalhousesneartheLeighStreetArmoryinJacksonWard.)
Glavéhadtorepairtheroofofthesuperintendent’shouseafew
yearsago,anditsexteriorisalmostdueforanotherpaintjob.
(“Aframehouseisaconstantmaintenanceissue,”Glavésaid.
“Itneverstops.”)Butitsfutureissafe.Infact,Glavéoftenhas
awaitinglistforpeoplehopingtorentanapartmentthere.“I
liketosaythatyou’vegota300-acrebackyardwiththequietest
neighborsintown,”hesaid,withalaugh.
Article Reprinted Courtesy of the Richmond Times-Dispatch
FRIENDS OF HOLLYWOOD
Page5
SPRING 2015
“What a Shame”
A
The Mysterious Life and Death of Tokukichiro Abe
monumentengravedinold
Japanesescripthaslongintrigued
visitorstoHollywoodCemetery.The
largegranitestone,locatedintheLawn
sectionneartheDavisFamilyCircle,
tellsthestoryofTokukichiroAbe,a
commissioneroftheJapanesetobacco
industrywhodiedoftyphoidfeverand
wasburiedinRichmondin1907.
publishedin1991bytheTobacco
AcademicStudiesCenter,Tokukichiro
wasactuallybornwiththesurname
“Niinomata.”In1891,atage25,hewas
adoptedbythehigh-rankingAbe(pron.
Ah-bay)family.ProminentJapanese
familiesmayadoptapromisingyoung
manfromthecommunitywhenthey
lackamaleheir,saystranslatorTadao
Uchisawa.“It’snotunusual.”
Aftergraduatingfromcollegein1892,
Abeworkedinanagriculturaltesting
centerintheNaganoPrefecture.He
marriedahighschoolteacher,Masako
“Masa”Ito,whowasalsoanEnglish
translator.Thecouplehadtwosonsand
fourdaughters.Comingfromawellregardedfamily,andwithhistalent
andintelligence,Abesoonrosetoan
esteemedposition.
Appointed Tobacco Commissioner
A photograph of Mr. T. Abe said to be taken in March
1906 prior to his departure to the United States.
“Hewasfromtheupperlevelsof
Japanesesociety,andtheEmperorof
Japanwasamongthosewhoattended
hisdeparture”totheU.S.,accordingto
R.ScottWallingerina1999reporton
Abe’sdeath.Overtheyears,various
partieshavesoughttolearnmoreabout
Abe–amansowellregardedinhis
homelandthatnumerousJapanese
visitorshavejourneyedtoRichmondto
paytheirrespects.
HewasbornMarch25,1866in
Koyoshi,intheAkitaPrefectureof
northernJapan,anareaknownforits
ricefieldsandsake.Anintelligent
youngman,heenrolledinAgricultural
CollegeofTokyoUniversityin1888.
AccordingtoajournalaboutAbe
FRIENDS OF HOLLYWOOD
InMarch1906,theJapanese
governmentchargedAbewiththetask
ofresearchingthetobaccoindustries
inwesterncountriesandpurchasing
tobaccotoimportandexport.A
photographofAbefromthistime,
whichappearsintheTASCjournal,
showsaslim,distinguishedbalding
manwithamoustache.Heiselegantly
dressedinablacktuxedowithtails.
Atophatliesonatablenearby.The
photographwassaidtobetakenduring
hisaudiencewithEmperorMeiji,
beforehisdeparturebyshiptotheU.S.
(See photograph on left.)
Abesettledinthethrivingtobaccohubof
Richmond,livingonEastBroadStreetin
thewell-heeledChurchHillcommunity.
“InRichmond,heachievedahighlevel
ofesteemamongtheleadersofthe
tobaccoindustry,”writesWallinger.
Abewasappointed
in1897asthe
commissionerand
officialexpertofthe
ImperialTobacco
MonopolyBureau
ofJapan,partofthe
MinistryofFinance.
Accordingtothe
websiteoftheTobacco
andSaltMuseum
inTokyo,cigarettes
wereintroducedto
Family portrait (July 1899). Abe is age 34; his son, Tatsui, age 8,
Japaninthelatter
center front row.
partofthe19thcentury
and“theindigenoustobaccoindustry
AbethentraveledtoFrance,andlikely
flourishedasneverbefore.”TheMeiji
madevisitstoEnglandandGermany.
government“wasquicktorealize
OnthevoyagebackfromFranceto
thevalueoftobaccoasapotential
theU.S.,hishealthtookaturnforthe
sourceofrevenue.In1904,allstages
worse.“Somepeoplesaidhegotillon
ofprocessingandsalewerebrought
board,”saysUchisawa.
undergovernmentcontrolasanational
InDecember1906,Abewas
monopoly,whichremainedineffect
hospitalizedatVirginiaHospital
until1985.”
(continued on page 7)
Page6
SPRING 2015
Accordingto
anarticleinthe
Richmond News
Leader,Abe’sbody
wasembalmedon
January16.The
articlenotedthat
Dr.Ikeda,“said
todaythathewould
donothingwiththe
bodyuntilacable
wasreceivedfrom
Tokio[Tokyo].It
Abe’s funeral cortege at Hollywood Cemetery.
isbelievedthatthe
(laterapartoftheMedicalCollegeof
remainsofAbewill
Virginia)fortyphoidfever.Whilein
beshippedtoJapanforinterment.”
thehospital,hewasvisitedbyfriends.
Aphysician,Dr.K.Ikeda,arrivedfrom Yet,becauseAbehadcontracteda
Tokyotohelpathisbedside.Despite
contagiousdisease,hisbodycouldnot
theefforts,Abepassedawaythree
bereturnedhome.Aservicewasheld
weekslateronMonday,January14,
inthechapelofHollywoodCemetery
1907,at1:30p.m.intheafternoon.He onJanuary17at11a.m.,ledbythe
wasjust41.
Rev.J.Y.DownmanofAllSaints
Tribute of Respect
OnJanuary15,membersofthe
TobaccoTradeinRichmondmetand
adoptedaresolutioninAbe’shonor.
Thegroupnotedthat“wedeeplyregret
thesuddendeparturefromthislifeof
Dr.T.Abe,whohasbeencalledaway
fromourmidstintheflowerofhis
manhood…Althoughinaforeignland
hehadquicklymademanyfriends
amongstuswhoareshockedatthe
suddenlosswhichhasbefallenus.”
Churchwithmusicprovidedbysome
ofthemembersofSt.Paul’sEpiscopal
Churchchoir.Pallbearers(E.K.
Vietor,JohnL.Wingo,JamesN.Boyd,
J.I.Miller,C.D.Larus,Rutherfoord
Rose,HenryCarrington,andW.W.
Morton)includedleadersprominentin
Richmond’stobaccoindustry.Abewas
buriedintheLawnsection,nearthe
Davisfamilycircle.
Interestingly,Abe’shairwasshippedto
hisfamilythatFebruaryandburiedin
hishometown.“Confucioussaysthat
Formally attired mourners pose in front of Abe’s hearse.
FRIENDS OF HOLLYWOOD
Page7
yourbody,skinandhairbelongtoyour
parents,”saysMeng.“Ifhisfamily
couldn’thavetheactualbody,thenthey
couldhavethesecondbestthing.”Abe
receivedbothChristianandBuddhist
funeralservicesinhishomeland.
Visit by Son and Grandson
NumerousindividualsfromJapanhave
visitedhisgraveinHollywoodoverthe
years,includinghisoldestson,Tatsui,
andhisgrandsonin1973.Dr.Tatsui
Abewroteofthevisitinapoemcalled
“Richmond,”collectedintheTASC
journal,andtranslatedbyUchisawa.
“Imeetmyfather’stombhereinthe
hugecemetery,likeapark,”hebegins.
Hesaysthepairbroughtflowersand
“Japanesesake,whichheloved,and
poureditonhistomb.”Oncewet,his
father’snameonthestone“becomes
morepronounced.”Henotesthat“the
flowersthatputtheshadowsonhis
tombisthedogwood”andthat“behind
thetomb,thesunisfacedtoJapan.”
Heobservesthathissononlyknows
Tokukichirobyaphoto.Theirvisit
drawstoaclose,though“it’shardto
leaveherefrommyfather’stombwhile
thesmellofsakeremains.”Standing
bythegrave,hesaysthatthestonestill
looksnewaftermorethan60years,
andappreciatestheeffortsofthosewho
preservedthetombof“thestranger,not
relatedtoanybodyelse.”
The author is grateful to R. Scott
Wallinger’s 1999 “Report on Inquiries
related to the Death and Interment
of Dr. Tokukichiro Abe,” along with
its addendum, conducted on behalf of
executives in the Japanese tobacco
industry and archived at the Virginia
Historical Society; and to Maggie L.
Walker Governor’s School instructors
Sharon Meng and Tadao Uchisawa for
their translations of the monument and
the TASC journal.
(continued on page 8)
SPRING 2015
Tokukichiro Abe (continued from page 7)
Abe’s monument:
TonyGrappone,ownerofA.P.Grappone&Son
saystheheadstone’sextensiveJapaneseinscription
wascarvedbyhisgreat-grandfather,Alfonso.“He
wasveryproudofit,”hesays.
The5’1”granitestonehaswritingonbothsides,
includingarenderingofAbe’snameinJapanese
andsomebriefbiographicaldetailsinEnglish
(includinglistingJanuary15,1907,thedateof
hisdeathinthetimezoneinJapan).Therestof
theheadstone“iswritteninKanji,whichuses
thesamecharactersasclassicalChinesesothere
isalackofpunctuation,”saystranslatorSharon
Meng.“It’saformalwaytowrite.”Accordingto
Meng,theletters–readfromrighttoleftandtop
tobottom–onthesouthsideofhismonument
translatetothefollowing:
“Mr. Tokukichiro Abe was born in Akita
Prefecture, Yuli county, Koyoshi Village. In
the year 1892 [Abe] graduated from Imperial
Agriculture University. In the year 1897, he
was appointed to the Ministry of the Finance.
In March 1906, he was appointed to both the
France and the U.S. He became ill at this place
and unfortunately passed away. His character
was that he was indifferent to fame or gain, he
was lawful and patriotic, and honored his duty. A
man of such quality is hard to find. At middle age
he died before his time. What a shame. Those
who knew him in the U.S. got together to build
this memorial to pass on his virtues forever.”
Tokukichiro Abe’s monument
at Hollywood Cemetery.
Mengsaysthewritingincludesthephrase“yaozhe”(or“yoosetsu”inJapanese),atermusedwhenchildrendie.“It’s
awayofsayinghedidnotreachhispotential.Hediedbeforehistime.”Shealsonotedthatuseofthephrase“zhen
kexi”–“what a shame,”inChinese.
FRIENDS OF HOLLYWOOD
Page8
SPRING 2015
Overlooks Will Enhance Prime Viewing Locations
W
veryimportanttous,”shesays.
ithitsdramaticelevationoverlookingtheJames
River,it’snosurprisethatHollywoodisoften
recognizedforhavingsomeofthe“bestviews”inthe
cityofRichmond.
Anadditional$200,000willfundbollardandchainsto
definetheareasandconnectthemvisually.
“Ournewoverlookplanwillenhancetheseviewing
areasandcreatebetteraccesstothem,”saysKelly
JonesWilbanks,executivedirectorofFriendsof
HollywoodCemetery.“Theywillprovideideal
locationsforfamiliestogatherbeforeorafterfunerals,
andforvisitorswhosimplywishamomentof
tranquility.”
Thefirstoverlook(besidethePalmerChapel)
hasalreadyreceivedfundingof$25,000fromthe
Dominion FoundationandwasselectedbytheJames
River Garden ClubasitsCentennialSignatureProject
whichwasaccompaniedbyagrantof$50,000.
“Wearesogratefultotheseorganizationsfor
supportingthisworthwhileproject,”saysWilbanks.
“Whencompleted,wethinktheoverlookswillprovide
idealsettingsforpauseandreflection.”
DesignedbytheVanYahresStudioofBCWH
Architects,theplanincludesrenovatingthree
overlooks,locatedinthePalmerChapelarea,the
HOLLYWOOD
CEMETERY • THE OVERLOOK
DavisCirclearea,andanareabetweenthesetwo
HE sites.Whencombined,theareaswillofferover1000
OVERLOOK
feetofriverviewingaccess.Eachoverlookwill
OVERVIEW
costabout$100,000tocomplete.Thefundswill
River. Here there is ample room to provide
he view of the James River has always been
provide“restoration,conservationandbeautification
observation and parking. In keeping with the
great benefit to the Cemetery. Recently, the
oftheareas,withanemphasisonconnectingthe
environmental purpose of the grant, it will
iends of Hollywood Cemetery was the lucky
landscapingtothemagnificentviewsoftheJames,”
also be an opportunity to resolve the erosion
cipient
of an environmental stewardship
saysWilbanks.
rant for the preservation and provision of a
JAMES RIVER
MAUSOLEUM
THE OVERLOOK
problems along the slope toward the River.
ames River
overlook, making the River even
Theoverlookplansincludenewlandscaping,
November,
PARKING
more ofsidewalks,andampleseatingareasforvisitors.
an asset for the Cemetery.
Nativeplantingswilladdresserosion,runoff,
ne of drainageandstormwatermanagement.“Being
the best locations to develop this
locatedontheJames,environmentalstewardshipis
verlook is near the Mausoleum along the
A thumb nail sketch of one of many options for
developing an overlook along the James River
Current view of the James River from the vicinity of the Palmer Chapel.
Rendering
of The
the Overlook
first proposed overlook east of the Palmer Chapel. Construction to begin in the summer of 2015.
conceptual perspective
showing
FRIENDS OF HOLLYWOOD
Page9
SPRING 2015
2011
LocatedonHollywood’sWebSite
Hollywood Cemetery’s New Virtual Tour Platform
H
ollywoodCemeteryholdsawealthofstoriesinits
rollinghills.ThefascinatingtalesofU.S.presidents,
Virginiagovernors,SupremeCourtJustices,Confederate
generals,soldiers,andthousandsofotherresidentsareall
intermingledinthebeautyofHollywood.
Buthowdoesonediscoverallofthosestories?
HollywoodCemeteryhasteamedupwithNimblePitch
andAddisonClark,bothofRichmond,tocreatean
interactivestorytellingplatformthatvisitorsboth
nearandfarcanusetodiscoverthestoriesthatmake
HollywoodCemeterysounique.
Atitscore,theplatformrevolvesaroundaninteractive
mapofthecemeterythatcan
beviewedoneithera
desktopormobiledevice.
Byclickingortappingon
differentspotsonthemap,
visitorscanfindtheexact
burialplaceofafamous
Hollywoodresident,as
wellasshortbiographies,
links,andvideosaboutthat
particularperson.
Oneofthegreatestaspects
aboutthisprogramisthat
itcanbeusedanywhere.
Someoneinanotherstateor
country—whomaynever
havetheopportunitytovisit
HollywoodCemeteryin
person—canexperience
thestoriesofHollywood
straightfromtheircomputer
screens.Justaseasily,a
personvisitingthecemetery
inpersoncanusethe
programasareferenceguide
whilethey’reexploringthe
grounds.
Usershavetheoptionof
takingaself-guidedtour
whichwillleadthemto
someofthemostpopular
sitesinthecemetery,
includingPresidentsCircle,
thePyramid,andthe
IronDog.Bookmarking
capabilitiesallowusersto
customizeaself-guidedtour
inordertovisitsitesinthe
FRIENDS OF HOLLYWOOD
cemeterythatinterestthemthemost.Finally,usershave
theabilitytoturndifferentcategories(suchaspresidents,
governors,andConfederatesoldiers)onoroffinorderto
furthercustomizethesitestheywanttovisit.
ThishugedigitizationendeavorbyHollywoodCemetery
isoneofthefirstofitskindinthecemeteryindustry.
AsaNationalHistoricPlace,Hollywoodbelievesitis
importanttomakeitsrichhistoryavailabletothepublic
inaneasy-to-use,accessibleplatform.Withtechnology
advancementsandtheprevalenceofmobiletechnology,it
hasbecomeeasierforhistoriclandmarkslikeHollywood
todoso.Otherorganizationswhohaveundertakensimilar
projectsincludetheU.S.Capitol,Ukrop’sMonument
Avenue10K,andmanycollegesanduniversities.
The homepage of the virtual tour provides serveral options for the user.
The first screen of the virtual tour is a hand drawn map of the cemetery.
Page10
SPRING 2015
Friends of Hollywood Cemetery
Invites you to our Fourth Annual
SUNDAY PICNIC at HOLLYWOOD CEMETERY
Sunday, May 3rd, 2015
1:00 P.M. – 3:30 P. M.
Performances by the
Oak Lane Band
and
Capitol Opera Richmond
Featuring Broadway, Film and Operetta Classics
Courtesy of Virginia Historical Society
Pack a picnic basket, bring a blanket and relax to sounds of great entertainment.
Guided trolley car tours will be provided. Cupcakes from Pearl’s Cupcake Shoppe, an ice cream
truck and hotdogs will be on site.
Tickets for the trolley car tours are available at the picnic.
Lots, crypts, & cremation niches are available throughout
135 acres of scenic hills, stately trees and architectural beauty.
Contact us for an appointment.
Public Visiting Hours
8am - 6pm daily
Historic Walking Tours
April-October
412 South Cherry Street
Richmond, VA 23220
804.648.8501
[email protected]
Please email Nancy Shepherd at [email protected] or call 648-8501 to
make reservations.
Rain Date - Sunday, September 20th, 2015 at 1:00 P.M.
www.hollywoodcemetery.org
2015
Officers and Directors
Friends of Hollywood Cemetery
2015
Officers and Directors
Hollywood Cemetery Company
EvelinaM.Scott
FredT.Tattersall
FieldingL.Williams,Jr.
PeterC.Toms–Chair
DavidL.Gilliam–Secretary
EdwardM.Farley,IV–Treasurer
MatthewD.Jenkins–President
E.BrysonPowell–VicePresident
DavidL.Gilliam–Secretaryand
GeneralManager
WoodrowC.Harper–Treasurer
MabelE.Toney–AssistantSecretaryand
AssistantTreasurer
Administrative Staff
Hollywood Cemetery Company
MaryLynnBayliss,PhD
WilliamR.Claiborne
ElizabethRawlesCronly
EdwardM.Farley,IV
JosephR.Herbert
MatthewD.Jenkins
ElizabethW.Talley
PeterC.Toms
KellyJonesWilbanks,ExecutiveDirector
NancyShepherd,DevelopmentAssociate
FRIENDS OF HOLLYWOOD
DavidL.Gilliam–GeneralManager
WoodrowC.Harper–AssistantGeneral
Manager
MabelE.Toney–AdministrativeAssistant
MaryLynnBayliss,Ph.D.
WilliamR.Claiborne
EdwardM.Farley,IV
MatthewD.Jenkins
ElizabethCabellJennings
NelsonD.Lankford,Ph.D.
E.BrysonPowell
Page11
SPRING 2015
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
412 South Cherry Street
Richmond, Virginia 23220
PAID
PERMIT NO. 671
23232
Van Yahres’ employees demonstrate climbing skills required for many above ground pruning and thinning tasks. (See article on page 1.)