Evergreen Heritage Summer Review 2019

Evergreen Cemetery Welcome Center Opening

The long-anticipated opening of the Evergreen Cemetery Welcome Center was in early July.  The Center has been open two days each week since then, and has accommodated many visitors interested in gravesite locations or facts and history of the cemetery.  Due to the changing seasons, we will wind down the operation but will continue to use the building during the winter months also, to complete smaller restoration projects that could not reasonably be worked on during the hotter months.

Historic Preservation Alliance Tour (Almost)

EH organized and prepared for a presentation at Fairview Cemetery on August 1st.  The tour was for the Colorado Springs Historic Preservation Alliance for about thirty attendees.  The tour was to provide information to the group on the history of the cemetery, and a live demonstration of a headstone restoration in progress.  Alas, the tour was cancelled at the last minute due to extremely severe weather in the area.

                                                                               

                                     

Largest Walking Tour Attendance Ever!

Our biggest event of the year, the 19th Annual Walking Tour, was held September 14 at Evergreen.  It drew the largest audience ever, a total of 263 visitors from around the area.  Comments from the visitors were very

positive, with much interest in additional tours during the year.  Not only did everyone seem to have a good time, we brought in over $2,200.  Those funds will fund training classes and restoration projects at Evergreen and Fairview, as no other group is currently supporting Fairview Cemetery located on south 26th Street.

Local Group Revives Planters

EH  sponsored a local group of about eight adults from MK Legacy which supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.   The group adopted about ten planters around Evergreen and worked together to plant well over 100 plants, some of which were donated and some that were provided by EH.

Heritage Rose Project Flourishes

Progress continues on the heritage rose revival project.  At last count, there were about 250 roses identified throughout Evergreen.  Close to 75 local volunteers have stepped up to adopt and care for their chosen roses.  Dianne and I recently visited a cemetery in Denver to view what they bill as their rose garden, but which contains only about 30 plants.

If you are interested in volunteer for the rose project, please join the list by clicking the link below the picture.

SAVE THE ROSES

THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS

And finally, there was another incident of vandalism at Evergreen.  On September 27th or 28th, windows were broken out at both the chapel, the old restrooms which aren't in use and the Welcome Center.  The chapel sustained no other damage or loss, but the individual(s) were able to enter the Welcome Center through a window next to the front door, apparently sustaining some lacerations.  There was a relatively minor loss of some equipment and tools.  The police were notified and investigated the scene.  We may need to look again at security measures for both buildings, especially exterior lighting.