2023 Year In Review

 We are so excited to share our Year In Review for 2023! To view full screen please click the square box at the top of the right hand corner of the page--Thank you!

Eiko Otake I invited myself collaboration with Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center

 You can’t really come to the cemetery and not think about death or the people who have died. We know more about living. But we all die. I thought that performing was my practice of dying. But the practice of dying is not dying. We learn about death by attending to other people’s dying. But we also learn about death by missing the dead. —Eiko Otake

In July, we hosted a unique Evergreen Cemetery. It was a true honor to showcase Eiko Otake and her captivating performance, "With The Dead," on the evening of July 8th.
Traditionally, our events revolve around historic reenactments. So when a globally renowned artist like Eiko expressed interest in bringing her performance to our historic cemetery, it was an opportunity we couldn't pass up!
Teaming up with the Fine Arts Center, an institution with strong ties to Evergreen Cemetery through many of its founding members resting in our grounds (a topic for another day), added an extra layer of significance of this community collaboration.
Eiko Otake, known for her artistic interpretation of death and the deceased, has traversed the globe, showcasing her unique perspective. The event not only introduced us to this remarkable artist but also provided an opportunity to open our doors—both literally and figuratively. Students and faculty from Colorado College, along with members of the Fine Arts Center, joined in on the presentation, for many marking their inaugural visit to our serene cemetery.

A personal highlight of the evening was the chance to meet and converse with Harry Weil of Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY. Green-Wood is renowned for embracing the rural cemetery movement that gained popularity in the mid-1880s. As Green-Wood is undoubtedly a "bucket list" cemetery, sharing the beauty and history of Evergreen Cemetery with Harry was, for me, the pinnacle of the evening.
I dance thinking about the recent dead, and the dead from the past centuries, including many whose graves were never built. —Eiko Otake

A Visit with General Palmer and Queen

On January 28th, at the Steeple Center, Bob Stovall and I had the delightful opportunity to portray William Jackson Palmer and his wife Queen Palmer for the Canon City Public Library Chautauqua program.

Growing up in my hometown of Canon City, it was a pleasure to stand on stage and share the history of Colorado Springs with my friends and the wonderful audience in attendance.

General Palmer played a crucial role in the development not only of Colorado Springs but also across the entire Front Range of Colorado and parts of Northern New Mexico.

Evergreen Cemetery Pioneer Pollinator Garden

 For the last several years I have tended  my own pollinator garden(s) at home. I've slowly added sections of my yard that are now home to numerous species of bees, butterflys and hummingbirds. 

This year we decided that the "forgotten" area of Evergreen Cemetery aka Pauper's field deserves a new lease on life.

Instead of forgotten and untended this section in the far south east corner of the cemetery, the final resting place to over 1200 souls is breathing new life as 

The Evergreen Cemetery Pioneer's Pollinator Garden.

This June, my friend Brenda and I had seeded the entire section over two very wet June Saturday mornings. Over $500 of Colorado Native Wildflower seeds were sown amongst the wild grasses, cactus, sage and milkweed  already growing.

The area looked untended as the grasses and native plants grew several feet due to our very wet June, however, bees and other pollinators discovered this new banquet table. 

The plants went to seed, which is why they were not cut until late this fall. Next spring and summer, as the seeds take hold we will be blessed with a beautiful wild flower garden to honor our area's pioneers who lie at rest in one of the prettiest areas of the cemetery.

A Rose by any other Name---

Did you know that Evergreen Cemetery once boasted the title of the World's Largest Rose Garden? From the early 1900s to the 1960s, thousands of roses adorned the cemetery's grounds, creating a breathtaking display for visiting families. Trellises adorned with blooming roses welcomed visitors, but over time, as families moved on or passed away, the next generation didn't continue the legacy.

By the 1970s, the once-magnificent rose garden faced challenges—unruly roses and trellises that posed hazards to maintenance crews. In an effort to address these issues, over 800 trellises were removed, leaving only a handful of roses. Interestingly, many of these remaining roses are classified as old growth roses (OGR) or heirloom roses, known for their rich fragrances and large, beautiful blooms. The term "old growth roses" specifically refers to roses that predate 1867!

Enter Bill and Anita Eickley, vital partners of the Pikes Peak Rose Society, who are now dedicated to preserving the few historic roses that remain. Their commitment is evident in projects like the Never Forget Garden at the front office and the new Garden of Memories situated between the Evergreen Chapel and the Evergreen Heritage office.

An annual highlight is the Rose Sale sponsored by The Pikes Peak Rose Society at Evergreen Chapel every May. To ensure you don't miss this event in 2024, be sure to sign up for updates and news. It's a fantastic opportunity to celebrate and support the preservation of Evergreen Cemetery's unique and historic rose heritage.

Did you notice our  National Register of Historic Places boulder has a new home!

1912 Evergreen Cemetery's New Office Building!

Join us on a journey back in time as Evergreen Heritage explores the history of Evergreen and Fairview Cemeteries.

We begin with the announcement of the new Evergreen Cemetery office from 1912. I wish photos existed of the original wooden office building mentioned in the article.