Jessica S.
Yelp
Who would have thought that a cemetery is a must see on a trip! I loved Lake View Cemetery and wish I would of had more time. It's HUGE, peaceful, beautiful, sacred, so many things! The tombstones are simply gorgeous, intricate, detailed. The trees droop, the light is just perfect, it's such a gorgeous place. There are also quite a few things to see but I'd recommend finding a map. It's not easy to navigate.
This place is FULL of history and very close to Little Italy. There are many notable people buried here, including John D. Rockefeller. The "richest man in the world" at the turn of the 20th century began his business career in Cleveland and made his fortune by founding the Standard Oil Company, based in the city. There is also a monument in honor of Eliot Ness, an American Prohibition agent, famous for his efforts to enforce Prohibition in Chicago, Illinois, and the leader of a legendary team of law enforcement agents nicknamed The Untouchables. He is best known for his pursuit and eventual indictment of 1930s gangster, Al Capone.
Wade Memorial Chapel is a BEAUTIFUL chapel was built in 1901 and is the location of over 104,000 burials. The chapel was constructed in honor of Jeptha Wade, a Cleveland industrialist, founder of The Western Union Telegraph Company and who was the president of the cemetery association that founded Lake View Cemetery. Its interior, which is largely decorated with glass, was designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. I got there just in time to hear the tale end of the presentation. The building closes at 4 I think. I'd plan around it and make sure you get there. The woman explained so much about the murals on the wall, the window, it was very interesting and full of symbolism. There is parking by the chapel.
It is one of the few interiors left in the world that was totally designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and his studios. The four-ton bronze doors open into a glorious interior with the theme, "The Voyage of Life." Wade Chapel's interior is illuminated by the awe-inspiring stained glass window, The Flight of Souls, by which the consummation of the Divine Promise is depicted. Created in Tiffany's signature "Favrile" method, where opalescent, iridescent, and translucent pieces of glass are layered to create rich, deep colors, it's apparent the intended focus of the Chapel is the window. Before being installed, the window won a gold medal during the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris, giving it credibility as an important example of Tiffany's highly- prized ecclesiastical work. Behind the chapel is a lovely pond with fish and frogs, benches and headstones. It's very peaceful and beautiful.
The Garfield Monument at Lake View Cemetery is massive and awesome. It closes early too and I missed out but I would make an effort to visit when it's open. James A. Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, was an Ohio native. He was assassinated and died just six months after taking office. The main floor of the interior is decorated with elaborate mosaic tiles, marble columns, and colorful leaded glass windows. The focal point on the main level is a larger-than-life statue of President Garfield. The lower level contains the flag-draped coffin of President Garfield and that of his wife, Lucretia. Two urns containing the remains of the Garfields' daughter Molly and her husband are adjacent to the coffins. The Garfield Monument is open daily between 9-4 p.m. and is free to visit!
Hiding in plain sight in Cleveland's Lakeview Cemetery is Lakeview Dam. At the time of its construction in 1978, it was the largest concrete filled dam east of the Rocky Mountains. A current Lakeview Cemetery pamphlet lists it as the largest concrete filled dam east of the Mississippi. The Lakeview Cemetery web site says "The dam is 500 feet across, 60 feet above grade and 30 feet below grade...The dam can hold back 80 million gallons of water." It was dry when I was there.
