New Albany National Cemetery, Indiana

For any number of reasons, I've always felt a special connection to United States National Cemeteries.  Usually referred to as "Military Cemeteries," these green spaces are the final resting places of millions of American veterans and their spouses.  This is a brief photo tour of the one located in New Albany, Indiana.

Abandoned Barnett Cemetery at INAAP, Charlestown, Indiana

Located just off US 62 in Charlestown, Indiana, the abandoned Barnett Cemetery is on the grounds of the old Indiana Army Ammunition Plant.  The stones are all quite old and detailed, but the most notable feature of the cemetery is its stone wall.  Join us today as we examine it in more detail.

Forgotten Graveyard under a Baseball Field, Jeffersonville, Indiana

In the midst of construction work for a new pedestrian bridge in Jeffersonville Indiana, a Civil War Cemetery was rediscovered.  While its existence wasn't a mystery, its exact location was.  As it turns out, children had been playing baseball on top of a graveyard for the better part of a century.

Ruins of Frankel Memorial Chapel, Louisville, Kentucky

 

Built in 1905, the Frankel Memorial Chapel was located in the rear of the Adath Israel cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky.  After years of apparent neglect, the roof of the building collapsed during sort of repair attempt in the summer of 2012. The debris has all been removed, perhaps for recovery and reuse, but the building itself is still little more than a shell despite the passage of almost a year.

St. Stephen's Cemetery, Louisville, KY

Rather than go swimming in the nearby pool, I took advantage of the Memorial Day holiday to visit an interesting and unusual local cemetery, St. Stephen's, located just east of Old Louisville.  It is a worthwhile visit, should you find the time and inclination.

Abandoned Eastern Cemetery and Crematorium - Louisville, Kentucky

Eastern Cemetery is located on Baxter Avenue in Louisville, KY next to the infamous Cave Hill cemetery.  The cemetery suffered from years of horrible mismanagement before being abandoned and left to the mercy of vandals.  Volunteers now take care of the cemetery doing what they can, but it still sits in what is incredible, although improving disrepair.  An old building with a crematorium and chapel sits in the back of the cemetery.  It was  at one point a squatter's paradise, but has now been repainted and all the entrances bricked up.  I have included photos of the crematorium before and after a clean up done a few years ago.