EVERGREEN CEMETERY
25 South Alexandria Pike
Southgate, Kentucky 41071
859.441.0703
Established: 1847
Acres: 250
No Official Website
Bella Morte Rating: 1 Tombstone
Founded in 1847 as Newport Cemetery and comprising a mere 17 acres, this Kentucky graveyard was officially renamed Evergreen in 1879 and has since grown to encompass more than 250 acres. Today, Evergreen is the largest cemetery in Campbell County. It is the final resting place for a number of U.S. Congressmen and is also the site of Shaler Battery, a hilltop fortification built by the Union Army to protect Cincinnati and the Ohio River Valley from the advance of Confederate troops.
On entering the cemetery, one sees the beautiful chapel almost immediately. Constructed in 1902, the building was in service a mere 31 years before closing in 1933. Sadly, it then fell into a state of disrepair, a condition in which it remained for the next 38 years. Fortunately, in 1970, restoration and renovation was undertaken, culminating in the dedication of the building on 17 October, 1971. The chapel remains in service to this day.
Unfortunately, from our perspective, aside from the beautiful entryway highlighted by the chapel, a handful of lovely monuments, and one or two small sections of the cemetery that granted restful vistas, Evergreen had little to offer.
There was a very small mausoleum row which held our attention briefly and the discovery of the Raison - Strong tomb was notable. The monument memorializes Col. Charles L. Raison, Sir William Strong and the Rev. Anna E. Raison-Strong. It features a large, altar-shaped stone surmounted by a sculpted angel with her hands outstretched over a child and a dog. The inscriptions for the two gentlemen are not particularly remarkable, however, the Reverend’s caught our attention. It reads:
Rev. Anna E. Raison-Strong
Ordained Minister of the
Religion of Spiritualism
1st. Grand Chief Pythian Sisters
of Kentucky
Pres. Campbell Co. Humane Society
Many Years
She Loved All Humanity
Passed to Higher Life
Dec. 7, 1932
Interestingly, none of the three individuals’ birthdates are recorded, only the dates on which they “Passed to Higher Life.”
A bit of trivia: Funeral scenes from the Academy Award winning 1988 movie “Rainman” were filmed in Evergreen Cemetery.
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25 South Alexandria Pike
Southgate, Kentucky 41071
859.441.0703
Established: 1847
Acres: 250
No Official Website
Bella Morte Rating: 1 Tombstone
Founded in 1847 as Newport Cemetery and comprising a mere 17 acres, this Kentucky graveyard was officially renamed Evergreen in 1879 and has since grown to encompass more than 250 acres. Today, Evergreen is the largest cemetery in Campbell County. It is the final resting place for a number of U.S. Congressmen and is also the site of Shaler Battery, a hilltop fortification built by the Union Army to protect Cincinnati and the Ohio River Valley from the advance of Confederate troops.
On entering the cemetery, one sees the beautiful chapel almost immediately. Constructed in 1902, the building was in service a mere 31 years before closing in 1933. Sadly, it then fell into a state of disrepair, a condition in which it remained for the next 38 years. Fortunately, in 1970, restoration and renovation was undertaken, culminating in the dedication of the building on 17 October, 1971. The chapel remains in service to this day.
Unfortunately, from our perspective, aside from the beautiful entryway highlighted by the chapel, a handful of lovely monuments, and one or two small sections of the cemetery that granted restful vistas, Evergreen had little to offer.
There was a very small mausoleum row which held our attention briefly and the discovery of the Raison - Strong tomb was notable. The monument memorializes Col. Charles L. Raison, Sir William Strong and the Rev. Anna E. Raison-Strong. It features a large, altar-shaped stone surmounted by a sculpted angel with her hands outstretched over a child and a dog. The inscriptions for the two gentlemen are not particularly remarkable, however, the Reverend’s caught our attention. It reads:
Rev. Anna E. Raison-Strong
Ordained Minister of the
Religion of Spiritualism
1st. Grand Chief Pythian Sisters
of Kentucky
Pres. Campbell Co. Humane Society
Many Years
She Loved All Humanity
Passed to Higher Life
Dec. 7, 1932
Interestingly, none of the three individuals’ birthdates are recorded, only the dates on which they “Passed to Higher Life.”
A bit of trivia: Funeral scenes from the Academy Award winning 1988 movie “Rainman” were filmed in Evergreen Cemetery.
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