Nineteenth-Century Funerary Monuments

Various types of funerary monuments in Magnolia Cemetery in Mobile, Mobile County. Innovations in stonecutting and carving technology and methods sparked a flourishing of decorative statuary in cemeteries beginning in the mid-nineteenth century.

Photograph by Justin Dubois
Nineteenth-Century Funerary Monuments

Caldwell Family Mausoleum

This large Gothic Revival mausoleum in Magnolia Cemetery was built for the Caldwell family. The patriarch, Edward Holland Caldwell, was born in Mobile in 1844 but moved to Troy, New York, as an adult and established a large fire hydrant and valve company in the city. After his death in 1872, his remains were returned to Mobile and buried in this large monument.

Photograph by Shelia Hagler
Caldwell Family Mausoleum

National Cemetery Section

The National Cemetery section of Magnolia Cemetery was established in 1866 to serve as the resting place for U.S. soldiers and veterans of the Civil War; a separate cemetery for Confederate soldiers was created elsewhere in the main cemetery. The National Cemetery section was later expanded to include veterans of all military conflicts.

Photograph by Justin Dubois
National Cemetery Section

Magnolia Cemetery View

Established in 1836, Magnolia Cemetery in Mobile, Mobile County, covers 120 acres and contains 50,000 burials.

Photograph by Justin Dubois
Magnolia Cemetery View

Kneeling Angel

This large decorative monument in Magnolia Cemetery features ornately carved marble relief elements and a large kneeling angel. It marks the gravesite of Augusta Kennedy Bloodgood (1833-1862), daughter of prominent Mobile landowner Joshua Kennedy and wife of New York railroad magnate Matthias Hildreth Bloodgood. She is buried in the plot with her three children, all of whom died before reaching the age of one.

Photograph by Justin Dubois
Kneeling Angel

Merchant Marines Monument

Many fraternal organizations and workers' benevolent associations purchased plots for their members in Mobile's Magnolia Cemetery. This large monument marks the plot owned by the association representing the city's merchant marines.

Photograph by Claire Wilson
Merchant Marines Monument

Gen. Braxton Bragg Grave Marker

The grave marker for Confederate general Braxton Bragg features symbols of his military service, including an officer's coat and saber. It is located in the Confederate Rest section of Magnolia Cemetery.

Photograph by Justin Dubois
Gen. Braxton Bragg Grave Marker