# Riverside Cemetery Chapel > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Riverside_Cemetery_Chapel > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Riverside_Cemetery_Chapel.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_Cemetery_Chapel > Source revision: 1261818187 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Riverside Cemetery Chapel** is a historic [chapel](/source/Chapel) located in [Riverside Cemetery](/source/Riverside_Cemetery_(Cleveland,_Ohio)) at 3607 Pearl Road in [Cleveland](/source/Cleveland), [Ohio](/source/Ohio). It was built in 1876, received an addition in 1897, and closed due to disrepair in 1953. It was added to the [National Register of Historic Places](/source/National_Register_of_Historic_Places) in 1987. It underwent a major renovation beginning in 1995, and reopened in 1998. ## Constructing the chapel The Riverside Cemetery Association was formed on November 15, 1875.[2] About April 1876,[3] the association's trustees hired the Cleveland architectural firm of Bruch & Monks[4][5] to design a chapel for the cemetery.[4] The chapel was to be erected at the center of the northern upper plateau of the cemetery,[a] which was the first area to be developed for burials. A 1,000-foot (300-metre) long road, called Chapel Avenue, led east from the chapel to the cemetery's eastern boundary. A fountain (never built) was to anchor the eastern end of the road. The chapel itself was a [Gothic Revival](/source/Gothic_Revival_architecture)-style structure[3] constructed of [sandstone](/source/Sandstone),[5] with an interior measuring just 26 by 26 feet (7.9 by 7.9 m) square.[3] Simple wooden pews faced forward, providing seating for between 80 and 90 persons. The chapel had a single above-ground story, with a full basement[4] which served as a [receiving vault](/source/Receiving_vault). Coffins placed on the dais could be lowered into the receiving vault below mechanically.[3] Narrow [bunk](/source/Bunk_bed)-like racks provided space for the storage of coffins and human remains until the spring thaw.[6] Up to 30 coffins could be stored in the receiving vault.[7] Four narrow metal tubes rose from the basement through the north and south roofs to provide ventilation.[6][b] The building was unheated, and the only light was provided by small [dormer](/source/Dormer) windows set high in the roof.[4][7] Riverside Cemetery was opened on July 8, 1876, on a bluff overlooking the west bank of the [Cuyahoga River](/source/Cuyahoga_River) in the unincorporated village of [Brooklyn Centre](/source/Brooklyn_Centre) (now a neighborhood which is part of Cleveland, but then an independent settlement).[8] It was a [garden-style cemetery](/source/Rural_cemetery), and at the time of its dedication the largest cemetery on Cleveland's west side.[9] Plans for the chapel were approved by the trustees on August 4, 1876,[4] and construction proceeded immediately and swiftly. The chapel was dedicated on November 9, 1876.[10] The cost of construction was $3,855 ($ in dollars).[4] A formal dedication of the cemetery took place on November 17, 1876. [Ohio Governor](/source/List_of_Governors_of_Ohio) (and President-elect) [Rutherford B. Hayes](/source/Rutherford_B._Hayes) attended the ceremony, planting a tree on Chapel Avenue.[11] ## History of the chapel On December 13, 1897, the cemetery trustees voted to approve the addition of a [porte-cochère](/source/Porte-coch%C3%A8re) to the east side of the chapel.[12] The Cleveland architectural firm of Steffens, Searles & Hirsh was hired to design the alterations,[13][14] which also included adding a coal-fired furnace and coal room in the basement,[4] a covered rear stairway at the rear of the building to give access to the basement,[4][7] a [dropped ceiling](/source/Dropped_ceiling) in the interior,[7][c] and Gothic Revival [lead glass](/source/Lead_glass) windows in the north, south, and west walls.[4][14] The porte-cochère was made of sandstone and designed to be almost stylistically identical to the existing chapel.[14] [Medallions](/source/Medallion_(architecture)) were installed over the arches in the porte-cochère. The southern medallion depicted a descending dove with an olive branch in its beak, symbolic of peace and the [Holy Spirit](/source/Holy_Spirit). The northern medallion depicted a hooded representation of Death, finger to the lips, urging all to be silent.[14][15][d] Construction began on July 7, 1898, and was complete on November 3[4] at a cost of about $2,700 ($ in dollars).[4][14] In serious need of repair, upgrades, and restorations, the chapel was closed in 1953.[4] The chapel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.[5] In 1988, several stone roof caps were dislodged and fell to the ground just hours after the funeral of a cemetery trustee was held in the chapel.[6] In 1992, realizing that the chapel was in danger of collapse, the cemetery began a $250,000 fundraising campaign to restore it to full use.[15] A charitable foundation was established to receive monies. Although costs had risen to $285,000, by 1995 the cemetery had $105,000 in hand and decided to proceed with the renovation. The renovation was designed by the Cleveland architectural firm of Steven McQuillin & Associates. The restoration included restoring the building to use, removing a brick [chimney](/source/Chimney) on the building's west facade (added to vent smoke from the now-disused coal furnace), and removing the ventilation tubes from the roof (since the receiving vault was no longer used). Construction, overseen by Platt Construction Co. of Cleveland,[4] began in the summer of 1995.[6] William Halley, the cemetery's superintendent from 1971 to 2010, oversaw the fundraising and renovation. With the existing pews no longer serviceable, Halley obtained century-old[7] pews for the chapel from [Trinity Cathedral](/source/Trinity_Cathedral_(Cleveland,_Ohio)), a church also listed on the National Register of Historic Places which was renovating its [nave](/source/Nave).[9] The renovation was completed in August 1998, and the chapel rededicated in June 1999. At that time, was named the William Halley Chapel in honor of superintendent William Halley.[4] ## See also - [Riverside Cemetery Gatehouse](/source/Riverside_Cemetery_Gatehouse) - [Oakwood Cemetery Chapel](/source/Oakwood_Cemetery_Chapel_(Cuyahoga_Falls,_Ohio)): Cuyahoga Falls - [Spring Grove Cemetery Chapel](/source/Spring_Grove_Cemetery_Chapel): Cincinnati - [Wade Memorial Chapel](/source/Wade_Memorial_Chapel): Cleveland - [National Register of Historic Places listings in Cleveland](/source/National_Register_of_Historic_Places_listings_in_Cleveland) ## References **Notes** 1. Riverside Cemetery consists of an expanse of ground atop a bluff overlooking the west bank of the Cuyahoga River. A steep [ravine](/source/Ravine) separated this into two plateaus. The larger of these was the northern plateau, which was the first area of the cemetery to be developed. The ravine led to a narrow valley which occupied the east-central and southeast areas of the cemetery. 1. The ventilation was needed to disperse the smell of decomposing bodies.[6] 1. The dropped ceiling covered over the dormer windows in the roof, rendering them useless.[7] 1. The medallion is a near-replica of a work by a sculptor identified as "Brevet" at [Père Lachaise Cemetery](/source/P%C3%A8re_Lachaise_Cemetery) in [Paris](/source/Paris), [France](/source/France).[7][16] **Citations** 1. "Riverside Cemetery". *The Plain Dealer*. November 16, 1875. p. 4. 1. "Riverside Cemetery: Beautiful Burial Grounds Laid Out on Columbus Street Near the Infirmary". *The Plain Dealer*. June 3, 1876. p. 4. 1. ["Our Treasured Landmark"](http://riversidecemeterycleveland.org/pdf/THE%20TRADITION%20Spring%202011.pdf). *The Tradition*. Spring 2011. p. 2. Retrieved November 18, 2016. 1. ["Riverside Cemetery"](http://tclf.org/landscapes/riverside-cemetery-oh-0). *The Cultural Landscape Foundation*. 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2016. 1. O'Connor, Clint (April 2, 1995). "Chapel Due for Restoration". *The Plain Dealer*. p. I4. 1. Vigil 2007, p. 143. 1. "Riverside Cemetery: Formal Opening of the Grounds". *The Plain Dealer*. July 10, 1876. p. 4. 1. Segall, Grant (May 12, 2016). ["Riverside Cemetery, a West Side landmark, celebrates 140 years"](http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/05/riverside_cemetery_one_of_clevelands_oldest_celebrates_140_years_photos.html). *The Plain Dealer*. Retrieved November 18, 2016. 1. "The 'Centennial Memorialization' Services of Riverside Cemetery are Arranged to Occur Next Thursday". *The Plain Dealer*. November 6, 1876. p. 4. 1. "Cleveland Cemeteries: A New Necropolis". *The Plain Dealer*. November 16, 1876. p. 4. 1. "Elected Officers". *The Plain Dealer*. December 14, 1897. p. 2. 1. Cleveland Landmarks Commission (May 25, 2011). [*Cleveland Architects Database*](http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/landmark/arch/pdf/CLC_architects.pdf). Cleveland: Cleveland Landmarks Commission. pp. 184–185. Retrieved November 18, 2016. 1. ["The Chapel, Riverside Cemetery, Cleveland, O."](https://books.google.com/books?id=hnRAAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Riverside+Cemetery%22+Cleveland+Gothic&pg=RA1-PA194). *Park and Cemetery*. December 1898. pp. 194–195. Retrieved November 21, 2016. 1. Snook, Debbi (November 2, 1992). "Cemetery Is Pastoral Oasis on West Side". *The Plain Dealer*. p. D3. 1. ["Victorian Chapel and Historic Office"](http://www.riversidecemeterycleveland.org/rs_hs_b.htm). *Riverside Cemetery*. December 17, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2016. ## Bibliography - Vigil, Vicki Blum (2007). *Cemeteries of Northeast Ohio: Stones, Symbols and Stories*. Cleveland: Gray & Co. ISBN 9781598510256. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Riverside Cemetery Chapel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_Cemetery_Chapel) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_Cemetery_Chapel?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.