This Serene Cemetery Offers A Glimpse Of The Diverse History Of Missouri

Mount Hope Cemetery in Lemay, Missouri was created in 1912 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. You will find worn granite gravestones dating back to the 1800’s in the two older cemeteries, Mount Olive Cemetery for Catholics and Oak Dale Cemetery for Protestants, founded in 1849 by the city of Carondelet, that lie behind Mount Hope Cemetery.

The 48-acre site grew to include two mausoleums featuring beautiful Neo-Classical architecture and entrance gate built in the Beaux Arts Classical style during the 1920’s and 30’s. A Serbian Orthodox burial section was created in 1914. Modern buildings were added during the 1970’s and the cemetery has remained in full operation.

The cemetery was built atop an area previously used as farmland among the hills along Lemay Ferry Road. The grassy site is filled with old sycamore trees and a creek runs along the back portion of the land. The natural beauty is a respectful nod to those buried here.

The Old Serbian Orthodox Section features square markers, some more than six feet tall, are unique from the other gravestones found here.

Many include inscriptions carved in the Cyrillic alphabet and many even have small images of those who have passed, reflecting cultural traditions of the ethnic minorities in the St. Louis area.

The Fox Family Mausoleum, built in 1926, is one of two on the property. The other, The Mount Hope Mausoleum was designed in 1926 and constructed in 1930. Unlike many others from the era, Mount Hope Mausoleum is constructed from limestone rather than granite.

It is a serene place, quietly respectful to those laid to rest here, and amazing to walk through and honor the history here.

It’s hard to imagine what the world was like more than a century ago, but the inclusion of multicultural and multi-denominational communities makes Mount Hope Cemetery a uniquely beautiful resting place for those that helped lay the foundations for the our state.