“Fantasy Landscapes”: Rural Cemeteries as Placemaking and Social Reform

Abstract:

Despite their purpose as burial spaces for the dead, cemeteries have always been designed for the living. The rural cemetery movement of nineteenth century America grew out of Romanticism and a focus of returning to nature but remained as reflections of shifting perspectives on access to green spaces as well as the changing industrial landscape. Rural cemeteries also served as predecessors for the urban parks movement, and served as open spaces for all despite being designed and largely occupied by wealthier classes. I argue that rural cemeteries are a form of placemaking, crafting a space not simply for burial but for contemplation and recreation without regard to class. The role of rural cemeteries as escapes in the face of changing society and rapidly expanding industrialization and urbanization worked to change notions of what amenities should be available to the working class.

Keywords: rural cemeteries, nature, placemaking, industrialization

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