Union Cemetery (Redwood City, California)

Union Cemetery is a historic cemetery on Woodside Road (CA 84) near El Camino Real in Redwood City, San Mateo County, California. The cemetery was named a California Historical Landmark #816 in 1967, then added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[4]

Union Cemetery
Memorial Day ceremonies at the Civil War memorial.
Union Cemetery is located in San Francisco Bay Area
Union Cemetery
Union Cemetery
Union Cemetery is located in California
Union Cemetery
Union Cemetery
Union Cemetery is located in the United States
Union Cemetery
Union Cemetery
Location316 Woodside Rd., Redwood City, California
Coordinates37°28′26″N 122°13′24″W / 37.4738267°N 122.2232990°W / 37.4738267; -122.2232990[3]
Area6.5 acres (2.6 ha)
Built1859; 165 years ago (1859)
NRHP reference No.83001237[1]
CHISL No.816[2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPAugust 25, 1983
Designated CHISL1967

History

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Founded in 1859, this is the site of the first American burial ground in San Mateo County, and was originally located just outside the town limits of Redwood City.[5][4] The cemetery officially closed in 1918, but it was used for many years after that for burial of the poor.[5] There are special cemetery plots for the Masonic Order, members of the International Order of Odd Fellows and the California volunteers who fought during the Civil War.[5]

Soldier statue

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The life-sized metal sculpture of a civil war veteran was erected during 1889 for a Memorial Day celebration, the earliest such celebration on the Peninsula.[5] The statue was paid for by Jane Lathrop Stanford.[6] It was vandalized in 1958, 1959 and 1969, but was subsequently repaired, and in 1999 it was replaced with a replica constructed of more durable material.[5][6]

Notable graves

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "National Register Information System – (#83001237)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  2. ^ "Union Cemetery". Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
  3. ^ "Union Cemetery". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. 6 April 1998. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  4. ^ a b "National Register #83001237: Union Cemetery in Redwood City, California". NoeHill Travels in California. Retrieved 2017-07-22.
  5. ^ a b c d e Svanevik, Michael; Burgett, Shirley (2017-06-01). "Matters Historical: Why Union Cemetery is a California Historical Landmark". The Mercury News. Retrieved 2017-07-22.
  6. ^ a b Levy, Joan (2004-05-31). "Guarding Union Cemetery again". San Mateo Daily Journal. Retrieved 2017-07-22.
  7. ^ Baxter, R. Scott; Allen, Rebecca; Hylkema, Mark G. (August 2007). "Cooley Landing Cultural Resource Inventory and Assessment" (PDF). Palo Alto Online. Past Forward, Inc.
  8. ^ "John Sears". Historic Union Cemetery. Redwood City Democrat. June 20, 1907. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
  9. ^ Staiger, Steve. "Sarah Wallis: A 20th-century life in the 19th century". Palo Alto Online. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
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