Visit a cemetery to see art? That’s not an altogether usual tourist activity. But Hope Cemetery in Barre, Vermont, is far from usual. Since 1895, artisans from the Rock of Ages granite quarry have created a beautiful memorial of splendid artwork in a most unusual setting.
While you are in the area visiting Rock of Ages, don’t miss the opportunity to see nearby Hope Cemetery, one mile north of Barre on Route 14.
The scuptures in Hope Cemetery include the “Bored Angel.” Also known as the “Sitting Angel,” she is the work of sculptor Louis Brusa, and rests between columns with crossed legs and her head balanced on her chin. Like many of the other granite sculptors, Brusa was a native of Italy. He immigrated to the United States in the early 1900’s and settled in Barre, Vermont. Brusa’s own grave features a strange sculpture, “The Dying Man.” It shows a man being held by a woman, who apparently strongly resembles Brusa’s mistress! Brusa passed away in 1937 from a common stone carver’s ailment, silicosis, which was caused by a lifetime of breathing airborne stone particles. Ventilation equipment was added to the stone carving buildings in the mid-1930s to eradicate the hazard.
Perhaps hoping they will spend eternity together, William and Gwendolyn Halyosa’s memorial shows them sitting up in bed in their pajamas, holding hands, with their ‘beds’ stretched out before them. Certainly they are ready for a perpetual sleep.
Other memorials include a race car, a soccer ball and – for someone who was apparently less sports-minded – an easy chair.
One of the most dramatic pieces is at the grave of the Italian sculptor Elia Corti. Carved from a single piece of granite, it is a life-sized depiction of the artist resting on a column, with the tools of his trade at his feet. It was carved by his brother, William Corti and brother-in-law John Comi.
The cemetery contains over 10,000 monuments of Barre Gray granite over 65 acres. The landscape architect Edward P. Adams created the original plan for the cemetery. Hope Cemetery is a popular tourist destination and part of the Rock of Ages granite quarry tour.
We hope you will visit soon!
Rock of Ages Visitor Center
558 Graniteville Road
Graniteville (Barre Town), VT 05654
802-476-3119
www.rockofages.com