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

Unknown building date
Architect/Builder: unknown

The William Bartlett mausoleum, an elegant example of Greek Revival style, stands like a miniature temple at the entrance to Mausoleum Row. The building is almost a perfect cube with a front-facing pediment gable that sets on a plinth base of three steps that extends across the front face and to each side of the structure.

The double-leaf bronze entry door is set within a simple "Greek key" surround. Each leaf has a center panel containing a grille composed of circular floral medallions suspended over plain bronze. A pair of fluted columns at each side of the entry door supports an entablature that extends beyond the face of the structure to form a covered porch. The columns taper from a simple Doric capital at the top to rest without a base directly on the plinth. The entablature below the pediment is massive, well proportioned, and unadorned and continues as bands of granite around the remaining three faces of the building. The two sides and rear of the building are constructed of full panels of dressed-granite relieved only by a shallow pilaster at each corner and the entablature banding at the top. Two slabs of granite mitered at the ridge form the simple gabled roof; an ogeed cornice at the eaves follows the rake of the pediment at the front and rear.

The designer of this building was clearly concerned with the sculptural shape of the structure and drew little attention to the method of construction. Seams between granite slabs are flush and minimal, and all of the building is executed in the same finely honed granite.

The same granite used on the exterior continues as the floor in the interior, though it is highly polished. The walls and ceiling are lightly veined white marble and are held in place with bronze bosses heavily molded with a stylized floral motif. On the interior, the crypts are arranged flush in the end walls and faced with highly polished white marble. At the end wall is a centered stained glass window with the image of Christ whose face, hands, and features are art [painted] glass recessed behind a simple marble molded panel. Beneath the window is a freestanding bench of veined marble with a light red, almost purple, color.