Early Beginnings

The First Burying Ground (1808)

• Location: Behind the Presbyterian Church at the corner of West Washington Street and Broadway.
• Characteristics:
  • Associated with the Presbyterian Church, Glasgow’s only religious body for the first 20 years.
  • Graves were marked with field stones, and no comprehensive record of burials exists.
  • Graves were relocated when the church built an educational annex.

The Second Burial Place

• Location: West Cherry Street, across from the former Happy Valley School.
• Details:
  • Not widely used and eventually fell out of favor.
  • Graves were moved to the new Municipal Cemetery created by the Odd Fellows Lodge.

Establishment of Glasgow Municipal Cemetery (1875)

Origins

• Land Purchase: 12 acres sold by Clement Montague Depp to the International Order of the Odd Fellows Lodge #65.
• Oldest Plot: Depp family graveyard, reserved from the 12 acres, predates the cemetery.

Cemetery Design

• Street Names: Originally Wilson Street, later Samson Street, and now Leslie Avenue.
• Layout: Family plots with intersecting buggy paths, decorative fencing, and landscaping with evergreen trees and flower beds.
• Notable Monuments:
  • Carden-Ellis monument with a statue of Ella Ellis Carden.
  • Governor Preston H. Leslie plot with zinc grave markers.

Transition to Municipal Ownership

• Year: 1904
• Land Acquisitions:
  • 1944: Land from Sallie and W.A. Lynn.
  • 1946: Kilgore family land, including the sexton’s office.
  • 1952: Additional 5 acres sold by William L. and Alice Curd McQuown.

Unique Features and Sections

• Pre-1875 Stones: Moved from other burial sites.
• Babyland: Dedicated section for infant burials.
• Garden Club Involvement: Landscaping efforts led by Osa Lee Follis and Nettie Downing post-WWII.

Private Cemeteries in Glasgow

• Notable Private Cemeteries:
  • Munford-Crenshaw cemetery.
  • Graveyards behind Paul W. Holman’s house, Kilgore house, and old Zion Huggins place.
  • African-American cemeteries: Barlow-Mansfield Cemetery and Odd Fellows Cemetery on West Cherry Street.

Opportunities to Explore Glasgow Municipal Cemetery

Guided Walking Tour

• Date: Saturday, August 6 at 9 AM.
• Details: Presented by local historian Sam Terry, covering the cemetery’s history, symbols, funerary art, and notable burials.
• Contact: Schedule private tours at 651-3817.

Harvest of History Cemetery Tour

• Dates: Evenings of September 23 and 24.
• Details: Features costumed interpreters telling the stories of eight notable individuals.
• Fee: $10, proceeds benefit the South Central Kentucky Cultural Center.
• Reservations: Call Gayle Berry at 651-9792.

Conclusion

Both tours aim to explore local history respectfully, without focusing on ghost stories or gruesome tales.

Acknowledgment

Special thanks to Sam Terry for authoring this detailed historical account of Glasgow’s cemeteries.