From a Burying Ground to a Park - Hurkamp Park - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

From 1787 through 1853, Hurkamp Park was a public cemetery known as the Corporation Burying Ground. By 1853, the cemetery fell into disrepair. Livestock grazed around the headstones. During the Civil War, the grounds served as a bivouac site.

In 1875, it was decided to turn the neglected cemetery into a public park and the graves and headstones were moved to other cemeteries. In 1881, the new park was dedicated and named in honor of John G. Hurkamp, a local businessman.

Today, brick walkways from the corners of the park lead to a water fountain in the center. Two historic signs stand near the fountain:

• From a Burying Ground to a Park
• The Corporation Burying Ground

Group that erected the marker: City of Fredericksburg, VA URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: William St and Prince Edward St Hurkamp Park Fredericksburg, VA USA 22401

Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the marker, preferably including yourself or your GPSr in the photo. A very detailed description of your visit may be substituted for a photo. In any case please provide a description of your visit. A description of only "Visited" or "Saw it while on vacation" by anyone other than the person creating the waymark may be deleted by the waymark owner or the category officers.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   10/10/2011 Team 57 visited it