|
Welcome
Taphophilia (dot) Com...
A repository of morbid curiosities:
Thanatology and Taphophile Issues, Cemetery,
Funeral Industry and Death Related News.
A Taphophilia Thank You...
Taphophilia (dot) Com would not be possible without the knowledge, experience and talent of DarkestWeb. From its conception and early development, DarkestWeb was faced with many challenges; from inspiring and motivating, to providing guidance and direction. The continued dedication and support has produced results greater than ever expected, and for this, I owe a huge debt of gratitude.
Announcements
Graveyards of Chicago:
The People, History, Art, and Lore of Cook County Cemeteries
By Matt Hucke And Ursula Bielski. Discover a Chicago That Exists Just Beneath the Surface - About Six Feet Under! Take a tour of Chicago's permanent residents! Please visit the Lake Claremont Press website to purchase your copy of Graveyards of Chicago today!
Green-Wood Cemetery Arcadia Publishing announces the release of Alexandra Mosca's historic account of one of New York's most famous cemeteries. Aracdia Publishing's Images of America series has an extensive catalog of many cemetery publications! Please visit Arcadia Publishing to purchase your copy of Green-Wood Cemetery and to browse other available titles!
Men of Mortuaries Calendar
To purchase your 2008 calendar, learn more about the KAMMCARES Foundation, or to be featured in the 2009 calendar, please visit Men of Mortuaries.
Epitaphs: The Magazine for Cemetery Lovers By Cemetery Lovers
For information regarding subscriptions, single issues, submission guidelines, deadlines, classifieds or advertising for future issues, please visit The Cemetery Club.
Guardians of the Soul: Angels and Innocents, Mourners and Saints, Indiana's remarkable cemetery sculpture
with photography by John Bower and foreword by Claude Cookman is now
available. Please visit
Studio Indiana for more information.
West Springfield Massachusetts: Stories Carved in Stone by Rusty Clark features information on early New England gravestone carvers with more than two hundred photos and illustrations. Please visit the Dog Pond Press website.
|
|
Grants Tomb Renovation Plans Postponed |
|
|
|
|
Written by DeadGirl
|
|
Wednesday, 09 February 2005 |
Financial setbacks push back renovations plans for Grant's Tomb that included a new pavilion and visitors center.
By Lauren Melnick
February 03, 2005
Visitors looking to find out have faced a shaky history of renovations for over 100 years, and now the latest attempt to incorporate a nearby pavilion into the 122 St. and Riverside Drive site has hit another roadblock.
In August 2004, the National Park Service released plans to renovate the rundown pavilion overlooking Grant’s Tomb, which houses the late Civil War General and former President, from across the street.
The NPS hopes to use the space for restrooms and a visitors center. But the project, scheduled to begin this past September, has come to a standstill while the NPS retools its plans and looks for a cheaper contracting bid.
On Sept. 14, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Committee held a hearing to review the plan. The NPS proposed restoring the pavilion to its original design, as well as adding a handicap-accessible elevator and restrooms. Within the visitors center itself, the NPS hopes to feature a bookstore and historical displays. After reviewing the proposal, the committee approved the plan, provided that the NPS relocate the proposed elevator for the visitor’s center from the northwest corner of the pavilion to the southwest corner, closer to the sidewalk.
The NPS complied, but financial obstacles have made it uncertain when its efforts will be realized.
The NPS budgeted $1.4 million for the project, but the lowest construction bid came in at approximately one million more. Pursuing a re-bid among contractors over the winter, the NPS is exploring ways of revising its project and cutting costs.
“There was no anticipation of problems,†said Steven Laise, chief of interpretation for the NPS in Manhattan. “The first bid that was received was not through a competitive bidding process. It was much higher, which was expected.â€
The Grant Monument Association, a non-profit organization interested in maintaining the tomb and honoring President Grant, is equally interested in seeing the project through. Frank Scaturro, the president of the GMA, explained that this is an ideal time for re-bidding, since contractors usually have less business in the winter and will therefore work for less.
“However, I’d be surprised if the re-bid process has been concluded,†Scaturro said.
The re-bidding has been handed over to the Denver Service Center of the NPS. The DSC, a centralized planning, design, and construction project management office, works with private contractors to realize construction projects for the NPS.
“The NPS did not reach an agreement on the price for this project, and withdrew the offering letter at the end of fiscal year 2004,†Samantha Richardson, information manager for the Center’s public affairs office, wrote in an e-mail. “The Park Service is in the process of redesigning the offer to ‘fine tune’ the scope. The DSC plans to advertise this project in a full and open competition in late February 2005.â€
Mark Alexander, project manager at the center, was out of town and unavailable to comment on the redesigns.
With the re-bid suspended until late February, it is unlikely that any construction will occur in the immediate future.
In October 2004, the monument’s architect and Chairman of the Planning and Design Committee M. Garland Reynolds told Spectator he opposed the whole idea of renovating the pavilion instead of constructing a new visitors center because “this band aid will put the construction of a proper visitors center off the burner for decades.â€
http://www.columbiaspectator.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/02/03/4201d719deaa9 |
|
Taphophilia?
taphophilia (taf′ō-fil′ē-ă)
ORIGIN:
From the Greek words taphos, meaning "tomb" or "sepulcher" and philia, meaning "attraction or affinity to something, in particular the love or obsession with something"
DEFINITION: 1. An excessive interest in graves and cemeteries. 2. A love or fondness for funerals, graves, and cemeteries. 3. In psychiatry, a morbid attraction to graves and cemeteries
Quote Repository
“No real estate is permanently valuable but the grave” Mark Twain 1898
Shirtless and Sculpted
The Men of Mortuaries 2008 Calendar is now available! All sale proceeds benefit KAMMCARES, a breast cancer foundation.
|
