The True History of Graceland Cemetery

The Graceland Cemetery has become a bit of a secondary character in the world of “Borrowed Lives.” Elise first encounters the graveyard in Episode 2 when she reconnects with Liberty. Riding in a Streetcar as Jacob Burrows, the driver finds the road blocked by a wagon load of coffins. The driver informs Elise that the gravers are moving the City Cemetery.

The City Cemetery was, in fact, moved from what is now Lincoln Park because of health concerns, since the cemetery was located near the city’s water supply. And to accommodate park development, of course. Where the cemetery once resided is the modern-day Lincoln Park. Graceland became the fashionable choice for prominent Chicagoans, perhaps because visionary landscape architects, including O.C. Simonds, designed the cemetery.

Simonds was a founding member of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Although he was educated as an architect and civil engineer, he preferred to call himself a landscape gardener. He had a strong conviction that the best landscape design is inspired by nature and informed by local land and indigenous plants. This influence is clear in his direction as the superintendent of the Graceland Cemetery project.

The Greek temple structure in Graceland Cemetery is the Potter Palmer mausoleum, designed by McKim, Mead & White. It is a prominent feature of the cemetery and is known for its size and grandeur. The mausoleum houses the remains of Potter Palmer and his wife, Bertha Palmer, within two large granite sarcophagi. The design includes features like inverted torches, symbolic of death, and sixteen massive Ionic columns.

Elise and Liberty happen on a Shears of Atropos gathering, held in the famous Greek temple structure, which is actually the Potter Palmer mausoleum. Commissioned by Palmer and his wife, the prominent feature, designed by McKim, Mead & White, is known for its size and grandeur. The mausoleum houses the remains of Potter Palmer and his wife, Bertha, within two large granite sarcophagi. The design includes inverted torches, symbolic of death, and sixteen massive columns.

Even today, Graceland Cemetery is still an active cemetery and now features a prominent arboretum.

Elise has misadventures in Episode 5 that once again lead her to Graceland Cemetery, where the cliffhanger ending leaves listeners anxious to learn what will happen in Episode 6.

Sources: 
https://www.gracelandcemetery.org/the-story-of-graceland/
https://www.tclf.org/pioneer/oc-simonds
https://graveyards.com/IL/Cook/graceland/palmer.html