102 
THE MODERN CEMETERY. 
OFFICE BUILDING AT ENTRANCE TO RIVERSIDE CEMETERY. 
The Riverside Cemetery, Rochester, N. Y. 
The directors of the new Riverside Cemetery 
at Rochester, N. Y. , have adopted measures which 
will insure the very highest degree of perfection in 
cemetery gardening. Riverside Cemetery occupies 
a beautiful tract of land, one hundred acres in ex- 
tent, on the Charlotte Boulevard, four miles from 
the center of the city of Rochester and easily acces- 
sible by electric cars. The location is most advan- 
tageous for a combination of natural and artificial 
beauty, with the boulevard on one side and the 
Genessee river on the other. The general slope of 
the land is towards the river, whose high bank — 
the lowest point of the cemetery being seventy feet 
above the water — afiord natural scenery unsurpassed. 
The surface of the ground at Riverside is gently 
undulating, with just enough diversity to give to 
the drives and walks that wealth of landscape ef- 
fects which are unattainable on a flat surface. The 
ground itself is a clean sand admirably adapted for 
burial purposes. The natural drainage is excellent 
and is supplemented by a simple but effective sys- 
tem of artificial drainage. No precipitous banks 
require protection against the washing of heavy 
rains. Yet the alternation of knolls and dells makes 
the spot one of nature’s chosen sites for a beautiful 
garden of the dead. 
Natural groves of trees abound in Riverside. 
Here is to be seen a knoll crowned with a grove of 
chestnut; there a lake bordered with graceful over- 
hanging elms; or a natural growth of willow and 
red-stemmed dogwood may be seen by the side of 
another lake; and approaching the bank of the river. 
the road leads through a thick grove of maple, oak 
and other trees, all growing in profusion. Three 
small lakes nestle under the foot of the hill that 
leads down from the entrance gateway. What with 
this rare combination of lake and river scenery and 
profusion of natural foliage. Riverside possesses all 
the elements of location and surroundings to make 
it an ideal modern cemetery. 
The actual work of improving the grounds at 
Riverside did not begin until about a year and a 
half ago. A large force of men was then put to 
work grading and filling and preparing a por- 
tion of the grounds for burials. The plan adopted 
does not contemplate any burials near the boule- 
vard. All that portion of the cemetery which is 
first visible from the boulevard and the entrance is 
laid out for ornament, the effect being to leave as 
little indication as possible from the frontage that 
the park is a cemetery. The ground reserved for 
burial purposes lies midway between the boulevard 
and the river, and it was there that the first work of 
modifying the natural beauties of the site was 
directed. 
In the comparatively short time of a year and a 
half much has been accomplished. Roads have been 
laid out in graceful curves along the valleys and 
around the knolls. Several thousand trees, repre- 
senting every known variety of foliage, have been 
planted. The whole cemetery is being sodded with 
Kentucky blue grass, the intention being to make 
every part of the grounds a perfect lawn. The 
natural beauty of the park will thus be ably supple- 
mented by artificial adornment of the highest char- 
