Rarenest: MONUMENTAL STORMS

SUMMER STORM AT GRACELAND -FROM A DISTANCE

On August 23rd a summer microburst storm traveled a surprisingly narrow but destructive path through the Chicago suburbs all the way to the Lakeview Neighborhood slicing through two historic cemeteries bordering Irving Park Road. Dozens of mature trees were toppled from their roots along with granite and marble obelisks and markers. Wunders Cemetery and Graceland were closed for days after the storm.

We were at the farm in West Virginia. The sign that something was wrong came from dozens of Lakeview kids' cellphones going off. It was immediately clear that the weather was dramatic but the people were OK. On the way home - we were confronted by images of overturned cars on the blocks where they live. The climate change seemed to come home.

But we got home and the trees were down - here's my coverage for the SAH Chicago newsletter:

John Notz, SAH member and Trustee of Graceland observes, “Many of the trees exhibited hollows or problems so they were weakened before the microburst. Occasional storms are actually good for the landscape as a whole because they remove disease. We’ve already performed almost all of the removal and repair.”

Founded in 1861 Graceland Cemetery’s history and monuments form a moving timeline of history with a concentration of form and function in Architecture and design. While many cemeteries suffer from neglect or deterioration, Graceland has a strong, effective system for preservation, planning and design. The list of Trustees of Graceland reads like the “Who’s Who” of Chicago’s cultural and political history. The Trustees take their responsibilities as stewards very seriously. And they all have rights of interment – a requirement of their position.

In the recent past the Trustees have worked with the estates and the community to design and erect appropriate memorials for neglected figures, such as the brother of English author Charles Dickens and William Le Baron Jenney (who designed a large section of the landscape). Upcoming projects include landscape improvements on the small island that contains Daniel Burnham’s remains and a sensitive restoration of the Arts & Crafts Style Chapel designed by Holabird & Roche. From simple blocks to ornate Gothic and Egyptian Revival mausoleums, over 150,000 interments have been completed and there is room for several thousand more.

William Le Baron & Elizabeth Jenney’s new memorial evokes a steel frame and was dedicated this summer - on the centennial of his death.