OXFORD, Miss. (AP) - Plans have been unveiled for a columbarium to be built on the grounds of the historic, city-owned Oxford Memorial Cemetery.
Architect Michael Jones with SOZO Architecture of Oxford said the columbarium will have 813 niches for cremation urns. It will be about 9 feet high, covering a 45-by-55-foot area.
The Oxford Eagle reports (https://bit.ly/1hS56EM ) that funds from selling the niches will help pay for maintenance at the cemetery, which was given to the city of Oxford by St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. The older part of the cemetery is still known as St. Peter’s Cemetery; however, the entire cemetery is named Oxford Memorial Cemetery.
“I had no idea what it would look like,” Oxford Historic Preservation Commissioner Brian Hyneman said after looking at the plans Tuesday at a commission meeting. “This is pretty amazing.”
The back of the building, which holds the niches, will be brick, while the columns, front casings and benches will be cast stone. The front of the niches will be granite.
The columbarium will be in three sections forming a partial square. On the inside, a circular walkway will give access to all the niches. Benches will be clustered together for small services. Inside the circle, there will be grass surrounding a flower planter.
“We wanted it to be not only a place where people come for the niches, but perhaps if they wanted to hold a funeral service there,” Jones said. “We also wanted as much green as we could retain.”
The Board of Aldermen approved paying for the columbarium in April. It will cost about $550,000 to construct. Each niche will cost $1,500 and will be big enough to hold two urns
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Information from: Oxford Eagle, https://www.oxfordeagle.com
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