Then and Now

This is the new sign the city of Janesville erected near the chapel at Oak Hill cemetery, outlining what is, and is not currently allowed as far a headstone decoration go.  I recently posted this picture on a Facebook group and something of a kerfuffle kicked up.  People seem enamored of their solar lights, windsocks, wind chimes and other personal tokens.  Reactions on the Facebook page expressed some people's frustration about the possibility of their decorations being removed, especially since a casual stroll through the 96 acre cemetery is enough to see lots of now prohibited ornamentation.

My guess is that the city, which took over operation of Oak Hill in 2008, reluctantly, has had to think hard about how to best keep the sprawling property looking like the park-like and historic final resting place it was designed to be, and still maintain a responsible budget with limited personnel.  For the past several years I have been photographing headstones and leading walks through the cemetery for several years, and I know from first hand observation that city workers (and sometimes RECAP folks from the jail) are out mowing and trimming grass, pruning and sometimes removing dead or diseased trees, picking up fallen branches or faded flags or shredded plastic flower urns.  Then there is swift necessary repair, when occasional vandalism damages roads, trees, and monuments. The job just never stops, and that is apart from opening and closing graves. Oak Hill is one high maintenance public space, as the city has learned.

There are all manner of legal and aesthetic reasons for any cemetery's list of rules and policies, and I don't plan to address those here. If you are interested in the City of Janesville's Policy Manuel for Oak Hill Cemetery, this link will take to to it.  If after reading that you still have questions, I would call the city parks department for clarification.

From the time the public cemetery was established in 1851, owned and operated by the Oak Hill Cemetery Association.  The Cemetery Association sold plots, put in roads, trees and bushes, planters and a fountain, fences, a windmill, and more.  They also published a booklet of bylaws and regulations that served as a manual for lot owners and the public in general. This was in 1858.  The late Maurice Montgomery wrote a book about the cemetery and is the source for my information here. 

Here are some of the old rules.  Lot owners who wanted their lots graded and sodded had to make application to the president or the secretary of the OHCA.  The sexton (caretaker/gravedigger) had the right to eject and excessively loud or rowdy individuals who disturbed the peace and quiet of the cemetery.  The sexton - and any other cemetery employee - was prohibited from taking bribes in exchange for "Personal services or attentions."  It was forbidden to bring any refreshments on cemetery grounds, as was it forbidden to smoke in the cemetery, or build any fire.  Picking of flowers, berries, or leaves from trees or shrubs was on the forbidden list, and of course one could not deface any monument or building.  Lot owners or members of their families could drive their vehicle through the cemetery - horse powered or otherwise - a no more than four miles per hour.  Monty says that he thinks the cemetery association gave lot owners tickets of admission to the fenced and locked property, and comments that the cemetery association forbid large assemblies of people, including school groups and unaccompanied children from visiting the grounds.  Finally, on Sundays and holidays the cemetery entrance was closed until 1 p.m. and nobody was admitted.

Over the years rules have changed to fit the times, and always reflect an effort to maintain an orderly, dignified and safe public property.