Sublunar Photography

Oak Grove Mausoleum was initially constructed in 1928 and was designed by architects Tom P Barnett and Sidney Lovell. The Mausoleum is a magnificent Byzantine Style domed building which is nearly 1/8th of a mile long and contains over 6,000 crypts and burial vaults. Its grand marbled dome was lavishly decorated by 22k gold leaf and was modeled after the Pantheon in Paris. There are several rare and unique sculptures and stained glass furnishings inside not to mention some of the worlds finest marble. Notable among these are the Tiffany and Co. Stained glass window titled "The Ascension of our Lord" which was custom designed for the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Saint Louis. The window was rescued just prior to the church's demolition in 1968. In fact, the south wing of the building is said to have been constructed to accommodate this huge 15x24' window. Additionally, the Mausoleum houses one of the original copies of the Gloria Victis, a sculpture created in 1874 by Antonin Mercié. "Mercié designed this sculpture following France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. He intended to honor those French soldiers who had fallen in the conflict, especially his friend, the artist Henri Regnault (1843-1871)". Among those buried here are Henry Kiel, who was mayor from 1913-1925 and whom the Kiel Auditorium was named after.

The Chapel was completed 12 years after the Masuoleum, in 1940, and is Tudor Gothic in style. There are additional vaults lining the walls of the chapel used for storing cremation remains, all of which were supplied by the several crematory ovens in the basement.

Years of neglect have caused significant problems here, most notably water damage throughout the Mausoleum which was caused in part by thieves removing the copper gutters. Parts of the ceiling have cracked which has caused plaster to crumble and water has seeped into burial vaults, causing visible discoloration on the marble exterior. But even more troubling is the fact that the basement is flooded by a couple feet of water.

These issues have caused various lawsuits to be filed against the current owners. Most notably, Missouri's Attorney General Chris Koster has sued them over grossly inflating the cost paid by families to disinter loved ones to have them moved to other cemeteries. It was placed on an endangered status in hopes that the needed maintenance and restoration would be expedited thereby.

NOTE: I originally called this one simply "Mausoleum" so as to protect its identity online, but it has since been sold and renovated so I've updated this post with the site's real name and added the brochure photos.

Source(s): 1, 2, 3

Begin Historic/Brochure Photos

End Historic/Brochure Photos

"The coffee this morning tasted like mortal remains..." "oh shit! You were supposed to use the box on the right!"