Forrest Cemetery
Introduction
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Forrest Cemetery was established in 1872. The chapel was built in 1935 and is a fine example of Late Gothic Revival architecture.
Backstory and Context
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Local resident Captain A.L. Woodliff led the effort to establish the cemetery. He bought the original ten acres in 1872 and, with the help of his three sons, removed the trees. Woodliff selected the property far from the town, believing that it was far enough away. Over time, however, the city grew around it. Woodliff served as the cemetery's chairman of the first board of trustees.
In addition to providing funding for constructions projects, the WPA also trained unemployed individuals in skilled trades including masonry and stone cutting. Such was the case when the chapel, comfort station and gate were built. The workers hand cut and polished the sandstone used to build the chapel (the stone was extracted from Lookout Mountain). Hofferbert modeled the chapel's design from a 12th-century English church. It was renovated in 1980. The comfort station was also built using sandstone and originally contained bathrooms but has been used as storage in recent years.
Sources
Bryant, Jennifer & Betz, Melanie."Forrest Cemetery Chapel and Comfort Station." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. September 3, 1992. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/62b573b1-d6ec-4dfc-aae3-d534cee988ef.
"Forrest Cemetery History." Forrest Cemetery. Accessed December 23, 2020. http://forrestcemetery.com/about-us.
Chris Pruitt, via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Forrest_Cemetery_Chapel_Oct_2014_1.jpg