Plotting an Escape : Although You May Have Grave Doubts, Visits to Cemeteries Can Be a Spirited Experience

After the ghoulishness of All Hallows’ Eve and the holiness of All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day on Nov. 2 tends to be forgotten. But the holiday, started in the 9th Century by the Abbot of Cluny, was set apart by the practice of visiting the graves of friends and relatives to pray and reflect.

In keeping with this tradition, touring cemeteries today offers a peaceful escape from the noise and rush of everyday life. This might seem macabre, but cemeteries are a good place to connect with something solid, something permanent. Most of all, cemeteries offer a glimpse into the history of Los Angeles--whether they are the popular cemeteries of the stars or L.A.’s more obscure, but equally fascinating, final resting places.

“Cemeteries are not only repositories of the dead, but of art and architecture--and learning about the people of the past,” says Frank Cooper, of the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles.

Among them:

East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights offer the greatest variety of cemeteries. One of the oldest still in existence within city lines is Evergreen Cemetery (open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). It’s located at Evergreen Avenue and 1st Street.

Established in 1877, the site has many examples of the ornate Victorian style of the time, such as urns draped with cloth and scrolls reminiscent of biblical times. According to Cooper, many of the carvings and statues are symbolic. A lamb indicates that a child is buried there, a broken pillar or tree stump symbolizes a life cut short, an anchor means stability.

Also in Evergreen are the remains of a Chinese cemetery and several Japanese graves. The Chinese cemetery is on the east side, along with an oven used to burn the traditional offerings of clothes, food and money. Japanese headstones, usually made of a highly polished black marble, might be harder to spot because as the cemetery grew more crowded, roadways were used as burial grounds. As a result, these graves are oddly patterned.

“One time when I was in Evergreen, I noticed here was (a Japanese tombstone), and here was another one and next to it was another one. Here was this winding trail and finally I realized it was an old path or road,” says Edwin Carpenter, author of “Early Cemeteries of the City of Los Angeles.”

Another point of interest is the Los Angeles County Cemetery, which adjoins Evergreen. Here are the cremated remains of the poor in what was once known as potters field.

Although there are Slavic graves in Evergreen, the main Serbian Cemetery (open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) is located nearby on Eastern Avenue and 3rd Street.

This cemetery is a reflective spot, with imposing granite headstones that reflect the more simple and streamlined styles of the 1920s and ‘30s. Most graves display the name of the deceased in the center of a heart engraving that symbolizes love below a photograph of the remembered. A photograph or any sort of image is required by Armenian tradition but might also be Serbian custom as suggested here. Across from the cemetery is a still-active Serbian church.

Other examples of ethnic diversity are displayed in a few smaller cemeteries in the area.

Tucked away on the north side of the Serbian Cemetery is a forlorn and small cemetery for the Molokan religious sect. The Molokans migrated from czarist Russia because of their differences with the traditional Russian Orthodox Church and settled along the West Coast.

Up the road at 1st Street and Eastern Avenue is one of the oldest Chinese cemeteries. With its simple, small headstones and photographs, it has an intimate charm. It also has two ovens for the burial rituals.

Nearby on Downey Boulevard and Dennison Street are three small Jewish cemeteries, Beth Israel, Mt. Zion and Agudath Achim. Since Orthodox Judaism allows no vegetation, one sees a curious sight: headstones emerging from pavement.

The best-known Jewish cemetery in Los Angeles is Home of Peace (open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed on Saturdays), at Whittier and Downey boulevards. The cemetery originated on the north side of the city in 1855 and moved to its present location in 1902, when it got its current name. The main mausoleum is shaped like a mosque and has minarets for windows. The cemetery has various carved menorahs and even a monument of two easy chairs and a fire.

The cemetery also has many famous names, such as Louis B. Mayer and Fanny Brice.

Across the street is Calvary (open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.), one of the most ornate cemeteries in Los Angeles. This Roman Catholic cemetery has spectacular examples of statuary, especially its 14 colorful, glass-enclosed Stations of the Cross. Victorian angels abound. Elaborate columned mausoleums house old Catholic families and archbishops. The grounds are sloping and well-kept in the tradition of a memorial park, with the large, eclectic mausoleum dominating.

Many celebrities are buried here as well, including the Barrymores.

Another area to explore for its history as well as architecture is the San Gabriel Valley. The San Gabriel Mission’s cemetery, located at Junipero Serra and Mission drives, (open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.), although not spectacular in its statuary, offers an opportunity to explore one of the oldest cemeteries in the area.

Established about 1778, the cemetery served the residents of early Los Angeles for more than 40 years. The headstones are fascinating because you can see the progression of priests who served at the mission. Most are buried in a row on the north side of the church.

Also in the San Gabriel Valley is the San Gabriel Cemetery (open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) on Roses Road, which dates to the 1860s. The cemetery’s elaborate architecture is in the Victorian tradition and some splendid old family vaults are here, including the Van Nuys.

Says Beverly Wayte, a researcher of Pasadena and San Gabriel history who is tracing the cemetery’s background: “It has all sorts of monuments, from headstones to obelisks to little monuments you can walk into.” Among them is one to Civil War soldiers that lists the battles in which they fell.

For those who want a combination of cemeteries and stars, visit Rosedale (1831 W. Washington Blvd., 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.), Hollywood Memorial Park (Santa Monica Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends) or the grande dame of cemeteries, Forest Lawn Memorial-Park (1712 S. Glendale Ave., 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.). All of these provide ornate architecture amid the final resting places of famous names in show business.

Cemetery Sources

* Grave Line Tours: (213) 469-3127

* Art Deco Society of Los Angeles: (213) 659-DECO

* Consult the phone book or directory assistance for a specific cemetery.

The following books are available from public libraries:

* “Early Cemeteries of the City of Los Angeles” by Edwin Carpenter.

* “Permanent Californians” by Judi Culbertson and Tom Randall.

* “Art Guide to Forest Lawn” published by Forest Lawn Memorial Park.