Contributed by Joe Fox, State Forester, Arkansas Department of Agriculture. Photo by Joe Fox The elegant White Oak (Quercus alba) in the southeast quadrant of Mount Holly was already there when the cemetery was established in 1843. Today, it is believed to be the only tree remaining on the grounds that predates the cemetery. Most trees at Mount Holly were planted fifty to 150 years ago, and only a few species of these are native to the site. Foresters have estimated that this impressive tree is more than 200 years old, and it could possibly live for another hundred years. Its diameter breast h ..read more

In 2019, we’ll celebrate 10 years of the Mount Holly Garden Series! The Downtown Dames sponsor gardening lectures in beautiful Mount Holly Cemetery at 9:00 A.M. the third Saturday morning, April through October. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy the beauty of Little Rock’s oldest cemetery, dating to 1843. The Downtown Dames suggest a donation of $5.00 per person to benefits projects at Mount Holly Cemetery. The Downtown Dames provide refreshments and door prizes! 2019 Presentations:  April 20: “Azalea….. the Queen of Spring” – Ronnie Palmer May 18: “A Spring Chocolate Tasting” ( History and Tr ..read more

Mount Holly Cemetery, located in the heart of downtown Little Rock, was founded in 1843 when Little Rock businessmen Roswell Beebe and Chester Ashley donated a four block square on the outskirts of the city to be used as a cemetery. In May of that year, a picnic was held on the land and original lots were auctioned off. Over the past 176 years, the size of the cemetery has remained the same, but it has grown into one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the country. It has been referred to as the “Westminster Abbey of Arkansas” due to the number of famous Arkansans buried there. Arkansas gover ..read more

On November 11, 1918, an armistice agreement ended the First World War.  More than 65 million soldiers took part in the war. Eight and a half million soldiers died. Another 21 million suffered wounds and more than 7 million were taken prisoner or went missing. The horrors of this intercontinental conflict should have ended all others. Nearly four and a half million Americans fought in the battles of this terrible modern war. Arkansas sent nearly 72,000 soldiers. Of those, 2,183 died in combat or from disease and 1,751 suffered wounds or injuries. Mount Holly Cemetery has 56 residents who ..read more

The 24th Annual Tales of the Crypt at Mount Holly Cemetery Rescheduled for Tuesday, October 16, 2018 has been moved! Tales of the Crypt will be held Tuesday, October 16, 2018 in the AUDITORIUM at PARKVIEW ARTS & SCIENCE MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL 2501 John Barrow Road 6:30 PM Tales of the Crypt is sponsored by the Mount Holly Cemetery Association and LRSD Parkview Arts-Science Magnet High School. Admission is free to the public. Donations to Mount Holly Cemetery are appreciated and aid in the maintenance of the cemetery. Parkview students will recreate the lives of Arkansans who have helped s ..read more

Mount Holly and Parkview’s Drama Department have postponed this year’s presentation of Tales of the Crypt. Stormy weather is predicted to be in Little Rock this evening. While a rollicking thunderstorm enhances a good ghost story, it could damage the performers’ costumes, cause someone to be struck by lightning, douse the lanterns, and make the cemetery a dangerous place to be in the dark. And besides, we aren’t telling ghost stories at Tales of the Crypt – we’re sharing history. You’ll still have your chance this year to hear the stories, see the costumes, and enjoy the flickering lanterns of ..read more

The birth of Mount Holly Cemetery was described in our cookbook, Recipes in Perpetuity: “With early burials scattered in various places, the city of Little Rock badly needed a public burying ground.  The problem was solved in 1843 when two of the leading citizens donated a four block square on the ‘outskirts’ of the city,  held a picnic on the land in May, and auctioned off the original lots. ” Picnics remained a tradition in later years when families of those buried at Mount Holly would have a picnic and tend the graves of their loved ones. Today we have a dedica ..read more

Tickets are now on sale for Mount Holly’s annual Spring Picnic. Spend time exploring the cemetery’s iconic graves with tour guides from Parkview High School, enjoy Celtic-Ozark music by Lark in the Morning, and watch Parkview High School drama students in period costume reenact tales from the lives of Mount Holly’s famous residents. Our silent auction will feature works by local artists, gift packages, and special parties hosted by friends of Mount Holly Cemetery. Appetizers and a box supper will be served, accompanied by lemonade and water. Please join us for the festivities – and bring ..read more

Early Monday morning a single-car accident resulted in damage to the north pillar framing the Broadway entrance to Mount Holly. The top of the pillar cracked and shifted in the impact and a large stone was knocked from the rear (west-facing) side. The limestone capstone also shifted significantly. A long crack appeared in the recently-repaired north wall next to the pillar. Fortunately, the driver and his canine passengers seem to have escaped serious injury. Mount Holly’s sexton, Steve Adams, and city officials have examined the damaged pillar and concluded that falling stone and the possible ..read more

Matilda Buchanan, a member of the Mount Holly Cemetery Association, welcomed guests to our commemoration of Arkansas’s ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The event was sponsored by the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission. The commemoration was held at the bell house in the center of the cemetery. This was her speech: “April 14, 1865, was a monumental day. That day Arkansas became the 21st state to ratify the amendment to end slavery. That night, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. “On that April day in 1865, Mount Holly Cemetery was just over twenty years old ..read more