Perimeter Fence

Crown Hill’s original fence was built of wood. Dr. John M. Kitchen, one of the founding members of the cemetery’s governing Board of Corporators, ventured to Tennessee to select the timber for its construction.

While the fence was durable, it was more serviceable then decorative. By 1913, the Corporators decided to replace it with something more attractive. Architect George Kessler designed its replacement in 1914. Construction began that same year and was completed in the late 1930s.

The main support pillars, located at entryways and corners, stand 12-feet tall. Between them, 25-foot-wide sections of brick courses topped in concrete act as support for the wrought iron fencing.

Crown Hill Perimeter Fence

Facts

  • The fence frames 75 percent of the south grounds, extending approximately three miles.
  • The entire structure stands on a concrete base four feet in thickness.
  • A major restoration of the fence took place between 1985 and 1992.