Among my many quirks and oddities is my taphophilia — a love of cemeteries. I find few places more life-focusing and life-giving than to walk among the land of the dead. And I’ve killed a good many healthy dinner party conversations with the assumption that others find as much enjoyment among the remains of the dead as I do.
In downtown Baltimore, just a couple miles north of Camden Yards, sits my favorite local necropolis, Green Mount Cemetery. Green Mount is the final resting place of John Gresham Machen (1887–1937). Machen is the author of some excellent books including What is Faith?, Christianity and Liberalism and The Christian View of Man. He served as the Professor of New Testament at Princeton Seminary between 1915 and 1929, and left Princeton to form Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.
Machen died on January 1, 1937.
Some pics from my last trip to Green Mount (click for larger):
——-
——-
——-
——-
——-
——-
——-
Tony Reinke 
Hmmm. I never considered the word for loving cemeteries, but of course there is a word!
Loving cemeteries is a bit quirky, but also valuable. I didn’t realize how valuable until I stood with my Dad and his sister, my aunt in a mountaintop cemetery on a visit back to his home place. It was fascinating listening to them talk and viewing grave stones of loved ones. I’ve never been to final resting places of anyone too “famous”, but when we visit cemeteries near our hometown where friends and family have been buried,it is just as you say, “life-focusing and life-giving”. I enjoyed your thoughts and great photographs.
Tony,
Thanks for sharing this! I didn’t know Machen was buried in Baltimore! I’ve been to nearly every cemetary in Baltimore and its environs during my years on the Navy Funeral Honor Guard, but was unaware of such a find. I’m retired now, but have a new reason to visit Green Mount!
Just last week as my husband and I visited a very old cemetary in Easthampton, NY, I nearly apologized to the souls whose graves I tip-toed over. But instead, with joy and conviction, said outloud to those dear saints, “See you in Heaven!!”
Blessings! Linda