Richardson Mausoleum - Mount Mora Cemetery - St. Joseph, Missouri - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

Date unknown
Architect/Builder: unknown

The Richardson mausoleum is an understated Egyptian Revival structure constructed of large blocks of dressed-face granite in a running bond pattern. The massing of the structure is simple; the four sides of the building are battered (inclined inward) from the slightly flaring base to a raised frieze band. Above the frieze band and decorated with low-relief lotiform carving, a pronounced cavetto cornice flares out to create the square-cut eave of the roof. The dressed granite, keyed-slab roof rises to a low pitch, with a pediment at the front and rear. At the front facade, the centered and recessed entry niche is framed by a pair of massive tapered, dressed-granite columns with date-palm capitals. The columns support a flush lintel stone with "RICHARDSON" incised above the double-leaf bronze entry door. Each door leaf bronze has an upper panel of glass behind a grille of stylized lotus buds, with square rod "stems" forming the picket of the grille. The lower panels of the door are composed of four shallowly- raised rectangles framed by simple, square panel molding. Within the mausoleum, four white marble crypts are stacked, long-wise, from the floor to the ceiling, leaving a central aisle with a black marble floor. At the rear wall of the structure and centered on the entry door is a window of blue, gold, red, and black stained glass. The window uses a variety of Egyptian motifs; a base of lotus blossoms rises with stylized stems to support a winged solar disc, a sign of reincarnation. Recessed into the jamb of the window embrasure is a bronze grille matching that found on the entry doors.