Springdale Cemetery, founded in 1857, was part of the Rural Cemetery Movement that took cemeteries out of the control of the church and created non-denominational, architecturally designed burial places that were also attractive parks with ponds, forests, roads and paths that followed the natural contours of the land and nurtured native and exotic trees and plants. Before the widespread developmen
t of public parks, these cemeteries provided a place for all the people to enjoy refined outdoor recreation amidst art and sculpture previously available only for the wealthy. Here are some other interesting facts about Springdale:
•Springdale is a nonsectarian cemetery that fulfills its commitment to perpetual care and respect.
•Springdale is one of the largest cemeteries in Illinois. Over 70,000 people lie in peace along the 223 acres of hills and valleys and 6.5 miles of roads. Some architectural highlights are the beautifully restored public mausoleum, 15 private mausoleums, nine public statues and multiple tree monuments throughout the grounds.
•Springdale is the final resting place for people of many nationalities including African, English, French, German, Greek, Irish, Italian, Korean, Polish, Russian, Scandinavian, Spanish, Vietnamese and more.
•Springdale, founded in 1854, has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2004.
•Springdale is a cemetery that is also a park, a museum, a game preserve, a library, a historical site and a classroom. For example, it is an ecosystem that has been used to study erosion control and it has the last large tract of pristine prairie land in a major metropolitan area.
•Springdale is ever enhancing its facilities and upgrading the trail system that runs through the cemetery, including one mile of the Rock Island Trail that is actively enjoyed by thousand of runners, walkers and cyclists.
•Historic reenactments are held at Springdale in the fall and draw hundreds of people to celebrate and remember the interesting lives of those who are buried here—people who created Peoria's history and whose decisions and actions shaped the city and region we proudly call home.
•Springdale is an impressive natural laboratory for studying rare plants and animals. Ecology is alive and well here.
