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Mount Olivet Cemetery (Nashville)
Encyclopedia
Mount Olivet Cemetery is a 250-acre (1 km²) cemetery
located in Nashville, Tennessee
.
Mount Olivet has been continuously operated since its establishment in 1856. It serves as the final resting place for many of Middle Tennessee
's political and business leaders, including several former governors of Tennessee, U.S. Senators
, and U.S. Congressional Representatives.
After the American Civil War
, women of Nashville formed an association to raise funds to purchase a separate plot of land at the cemetery for the interment of Confederate
dead. It became known as "Confederate Circle". It was used for the interment of Confederate soldiers who had died on nearby battlegrounds and as a memorial to their sacrifice. Women organized such memorial associations and raised money for interment of Confederate soldiers in major cities across the South and areas where there were concentrations of bodies. The memorial association arranged for burials of about 1,500 soldiers at Confederate Circle. Confederate veterans were also eligible for interment there.
For many years, interments at Mount Olivet were limited to white Protestants. Although this policy was officially eliminated decades ago, tradition has continued the practice, somewhat by self-selection. In the 1990s, a funeral home
was added to the grounds of Mount Olivet.
Immediately adjacent to the west, Calvary
Cemetery has long served as the preferred burying place of Middle Tennessee Catholics
. The two facilities are separated only by grass; one can walk from one cemetery to the other, although each has a separate entrance. Cars cannot pass between the two.
Approximately one mile (1.6 km) to the south is Greenwood Cemetery, where many of the most prominent African-American residents of Middle Tennessee have been buried.
Mount Olivet Cemetery is located at 1101 Lebanon Road, approximately two miles (three km) east of downtown Nashville. It is open to the public during daylight hours.
J.J.B.Jr.(USN. RET.)
Pasadena, Md.
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
located in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
.
Mount Olivet has been continuously operated since its establishment in 1856. It serves as the final resting place for many of Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to state law as the 41 counties in the Middle Grand Division of Tennessee....
's political and business leaders, including several former governors of Tennessee, U.S. Senators
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, and U.S. Congressional Representatives.
After the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, women of Nashville formed an association to raise funds to purchase a separate plot of land at the cemetery for the interment of Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
dead. It became known as "Confederate Circle". It was used for the interment of Confederate soldiers who had died on nearby battlegrounds and as a memorial to their sacrifice. Women organized such memorial associations and raised money for interment of Confederate soldiers in major cities across the South and areas where there were concentrations of bodies. The memorial association arranged for burials of about 1,500 soldiers at Confederate Circle. Confederate veterans were also eligible for interment there.
For many years, interments at Mount Olivet were limited to white Protestants. Although this policy was officially eliminated decades ago, tradition has continued the practice, somewhat by self-selection. In the 1990s, a funeral home
Funeral home
A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the deceased and their families. These services may include aprepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral....
was added to the grounds of Mount Olivet.
Immediately adjacent to the west, Calvary
Calvary
Calvary or Golgotha was the site, outside of ancient Jerusalem’s early first century walls, at which the crucifixion of Jesus is said to have occurred. Calvary and Golgotha are the English names for the site used in Western Christianity...
Cemetery has long served as the preferred burying place of Middle Tennessee Catholics
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. The two facilities are separated only by grass; one can walk from one cemetery to the other, although each has a separate entrance. Cars cannot pass between the two.
Approximately one mile (1.6 km) to the south is Greenwood Cemetery, where many of the most prominent African-American residents of Middle Tennessee have been buried.
Mount Olivet Cemetery is located at 1101 Lebanon Road, approximately two miles (three km) east of downtown Nashville. It is open to the public during daylight hours.
Notable burials
- Adelicia AcklenAdelicia AcklenAdelicia Acklen was the widow of a plantation owner from Nashville, Tennessee and then an owner in her own right.-Biography:Adelicia Hayes Franklin Acklen Cheatham was born on March 15, 1817, in Nashville, Tennessee....
, wealthy Nashville businesswoman and socialite - William B. BateWilliam B. BateWilliam Brimage Bate was the governor of Tennessee from 1883 to 1887 and subsequently a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1887 until his death...
, Governor of Tennessee (1883 to 1887), American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
general - John BellJohn Bell (Tennessee politician)John Bell was a U.S. politician, attorney, and plantation owner. A wealthy slaveholder from Tennessee, Bell served in the United States Congress in both the House of Representatives and Senate. He began his career as a Democrat, he eventually fell out with Andrew Jackson and became a Whig...
, United States SenatorUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and presidentialPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
candidate - Aaron V. BrownAaron V. BrownAaron Venable Brown was a Governor of Tennessee and Postmaster General in the Buchanan administration. He was also the law partner of James K. Polk.-Biography:...
, Governor of Tennessee (1845 to 1847), United States Postmaster GeneralUnited States Postmaster GeneralThe United States Postmaster General is the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence...
from 1857 to 1859 - George P. BuellGeorge P. BuellGeorge Pearson Buell was an American civil engineer and soldier. He served as a Union Army general during the American Civil War, and remained in the United States Army following the conflict.-Early life and career:...
, Union ArmyUnion ArmyThe Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
general - Joseph Wellington Byrns, United States CongressmanUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and Speaker of the HouseSpeaker of the United States House of RepresentativesThe Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives... - John CatronJohn CatronJohn Catron was an American jurist who served as a US Supreme Court justice from 1837 to 1865.-Early life:Little is known of Catron's early life, but he served in the War of 1812 under Andrew Jackson...
, U.S. Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
Justice - Benjamin F. ("Frank") CheathamBenjamin F. CheathamBenjamin Franklin Cheatham , known also as Frank, was a Tennessee aristocrat, California gold miner, and a General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, serving in many battles of the Western Theater.-Early years:Cheatham was born in Nashville, Tennessee on a plantation...
, ConfederateConfederate States ArmyThe Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
general during the American Civil War - Mary Hooper Donelson (1906-2000), noted Nashville Artist, Sculptor and Agriculturalist; owner of "Cleveland Hall"; 5th generation descendent of Nashville Founder Colonel John Donelson
- John Donelson Jr (VII) (1901-1975), Professional Power Generation Engineer; owner of "Cleveland Hall"; 5th generation descendent of Nashville Founder Colonel John Donelson
- Stockley Donelson (1805-1888), builder of "Cleveland Hall", grandson of Nashville Founder Colonel John Donelson, and Nephew of Rachel Donelson Jackson, Wife of President Andrew Jackson
- Anne Dallas DudleyAnne Dallas DudleyAnne Dallas Dudley was a prominent activist in the women's suffrage movement in the United States...
(1876-1955), women's suffrage activist - Jesse Babcock FergusonJesse Babcock FergusonJesse Babcock Ferguson was an American Christian preacher who developed Spiritualist leanings in the 1840s and 1850s while serving as the preacher at the Nashville, Tennessee Church of Christ...
, onetime minister of the Nashville Church of Christ, later associated with Spiritualism and UniversalismUniversalismUniversalism in its primary meaning refers to religious, theological, and philosophical concepts with universal application or applicability... - Thomas Frist, co-founder of Hospital Corporation of AmericaHospital Corporation of AmericaHospital Corporation of America is the largest private operator of health care facilities in the world, It is based in Nashville, Tennessee and is widely considered to be the single largest factor in making that city a hotspot for healthcare enterprise.-History:The founders of HCA include Jack C....
and father of the former majority leader of the U.S. SenateUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, Bill FristBill FristWilliam Harrison "Bill" Frist, Sr. is an American physician, businessman, and politician. He began his career as an heir and major stockholder to the for-profit hospital chain of Hospital Corporation of America. Frist later served two terms as a Republican United States Senator representing... - Meredith Poindexter GentryMeredith Poindexter GentryMeredith Poindexter Gentry was an American politician who represented Tennessee's eighth and seventh districts in the United States House of Representatives. He also served in the Confederate States Congress during the American Civil War.-Biography:Gentry was born in Rockingham County, North...
, United States CongressmanUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution... - Alvan Cullem GillemAlvan Cullem GillemAlvan Cullem Gillem was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Although Southern-born, he remained loyal to the Federal government and fought in several battles in the Western Theater before commanding occupation troops in Mississippi and Arkansas during Reconstruction...
, Civil War Union general and post-bellum Indian fighter - Felix GrundyFelix GrundyFelix Grundy was a U.S. Congressman and U.S. Senator from Tennessee who also served as the 13th Attorney General of the United States.-Biography:...
, United States SenatorUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and Attorney GeneralUnited States Attorney GeneralThe United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government... - Robert Kennon HargroveRobert Kennon HargroveRobert Kennon Hargrove was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, elected in 1882....
(1829 – 1905), a BishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, SouthMethodist Episcopal Church, SouthThe Methodist Episcopal Church, South, or Methodist Episcopal Church South, was the so-called "Southern Methodist Church" resulting from the split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church which had been brewing over several years until it came out into the open at a conference... - E. Bronson IngramErskine Bronson IngramE. Bronson Ingram was a United States businessman and billionaire, and the long-time head of Ingram Industries.-Biography:Ingram was born in St...
, founder of Ingram Industries Inc., parent company of Ingram Barge Company; Ingram Book Company, the nation's largest book distributor; Ingram Micro; and other major companies - Howell Edmunds JacksonHowell Edmunds JacksonHowell Edmunds Jackson was an American jurist and politician. He served on the United States Supreme Court, in the U.S. Senate, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the Tennessee House of Representatives. He authored notable opinions on the Interstate Commerce Act and the...
, United States SenatorUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
Justice - William Hicks JacksonWilliam Hicks JacksonWilliam Hicks "Red" Jackson was a cotton planter, horse breeder, and general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
, Confederate general during the American Civil War - Thomas A. KerchevalThomas A. KerchevalThomas A. Kercheval was a Republican Tennessee Senator and the Mayor of Nashville for twelve years.-Biography:...
, Tennessee State Senator and Mayor of Nashville - David LipscombDavid LipscombLipscomb's beliefs on government can be classified as a radical theory of religious freedom, classical liberalism, even potentially consistent with fundamental positions of Anarcho-primitivism. Lipscomb believed in creating a peaceful, cooperative, decentralized communion in which freedom,...
, founder of Nashville Bible School (now Lipscomb UniversityLipscomb UniversityLipscomb University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The campus is located in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville between Belmont Boulevard to the west and Granny White Pike on the east...
) - George ManeyGeorge ManeyGeorge Earl Maney was an American soldier, politician, railroad executive and diplomat. He was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and a postbellum U.S...
, Confederate Civil War general and U.S. Ambassador to Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay - Jack C. MasseyJack C. MasseyJack Carroll Massey , Venture capitalist and entrepreneur, born 1904 in Tennille, Georgia. In 1964, after a career in the medical supply industry, he bought Kentucky Fried Chicken from its founder, Harland Sanders, for $2 million. Seven years later he sold it for $239 million...
, entrepreneur who helped found or take public Hospital Corporation of AmericaHospital Corporation of AmericaHospital Corporation of America is the largest private operator of health care facilities in the world, It is based in Nashville, Tennessee and is widely considered to be the single largest factor in making that city a hotspot for healthcare enterprise.-History:The founders of HCA include Jack C....
, Kentucky Fried Chicken and two other NYSE-listed companies - Hill McAlisterHill McAlisterHarry Hill McAlister was Governor of Tennessee from 1933 to 1937.-Biography:Hill McAlister was born in Nashville to a family kin to at least two former governors of Tennessee and the former governor of the predecessor Southwest Territory, William Blount...
, Governor of Tennessee from 1933 to 1937 - J. O. McClurkan, founder of the Literary and Bible Training School for Christian Workers (now Trevecca Nazarene UniversityTrevecca Nazarene UniversityTrevecca Nazarene University is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Nashville, Tennessee.-History:TNU was founded in 1901 by Cumberland Presbyterian minister J. O. McClurkan as the "Pentecostal Literary and Bible Training School"...
) - Eliza Jane McKissackEliza Jane McKissackEliza Jane McKissack was a music teacher who, in 1890, became the founding head of music at the University of North Texas College of Music, then called Normal Conservatory of Music, part of Texas Normal College and Teacher Training Institute, which was...
(1828-1900), founding head of music in 1890 to the forerunner of the University of North Texas College of MusicUniversity of North Texas College of MusicThe University of North Texas College of Music, based in Denton, is a comprehensive music school with the largest enrollment of any music institution accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, and the oldest in the world offering a degree in jazz studies... - Benton McMillinBenton McMillinBenton McMillin was governor of the U.S. state of Tennessee from 1899 to 1903. A Democrat, he was a native of Monroe County, Kentucky and an attorney.-Biography:...
, Governor of Tennessee (1899 to 1903) - John OvertonJohn Overton (judge)John Overton was an advisor of Andrew Jackson, a judge at the Superior Court of Tennessee, a banker and political leader.Overton was born in Louisa County, Virginia...
, friend of Andrew JacksonAndrew JacksonAndrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
and one of the founders of Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.... - James E. Rains, American Civil War general killed in the 1862 Battle of Murfreesboro
- Fred RoseFred Rose (musician)Fred Rose was an American Hall of Fame songwriter and music publishing executive.-Biography:Born in Evansville, Indiana, Fred Rose started playing piano and singing as a small boy. In his teens, he moved to Chicago, Illinois where he worked in bars busking for tips, and finally vaudeville...
, music publishing executive - Thomas G. Ryman, steamboat captain, Nashville businessman, and builder of Ryman AuditoriumRyman AuditoriumThe Ryman Auditorium is a 2,362-seat live performance venue, located at 115 5th Avenue North, in Nashville, Tennessee and is best known as the historic home of the Grand Ole Opry....
- Fletcher SrygleyFletcher SrygleyFletcher Douglas Srygley was a preacher, writer, and controversialist in the American Restoration Movement.-Personal life:...
, Preacher, writer, and controversialist in the American Restoration MovementRestoration MovementThe Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century...
. - Vernon K. Stevenson, first president of the Nashville and Chattanooga RailroadNashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis RailwayThe Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway was a railway company operating in the southern United States in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia...
- Ernest StonemanErnest StonemanErnest Van "Pop" Stoneman ranked among the prominent recording artists of country music's first commercial decade.-Biography:...
, country music performer - Samuel Watkins, founder of Watkins Institute (now Watkins College of Art and DesignWatkins College of Art and DesignWatkins College of Art, Design & Film is a four year art and design college located in Nashville, Tennessee.Watkins College offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in film, graphic design, interior design, fine arts, and photography as well as Post-Graduate Certificates in film and graphic design. As...
) - Del WoodDel WoodPolly Adelaide Hendricks Hazelwood , known professionally as Del Wood, was an American pianist.-Biography:...
(1920-1989), pianist - Vern GosdinVern GosdinVern Gosdin was an American country music singer. He idolized The Louvin Brothers and The Blue Sky Boys as a young man and sang in a gospel quartet called The Gosdin Brothers. An inheritor of the soulful honky tonk style of Lefty Frizzell and Merle Haggard, Gosdin was nicknamed "The Voice" by his...
1934-2009 country music legend
Citations
How about Elmo Tanner of Ted Weems orchestra? I think his name and wonderful accomplishments should be included in you list of famous Americans.J.J.B.Jr.(USN. RET.)
Pasadena, Md.