Afterglow Vista facts for kids
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| Coordinates | 48°36′57″N 123°08′56″W / 48.615947°N 123.149003°W |
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| Location | 664 Afterglow Dr, Friday Harbor, Washington, U.S. |
Afterglow Vista is a unique and historic building located in San Juan County, Washington. It's also known as the McMillin Memorial Mausoleum. A mausoleum is a special building that serves as a final resting place for people. This one is near the towns of Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor.
Afterglow Vista is where businessman John S. McMillin, his wife, their children, and one family employee are buried. The building's design includes many interesting symbols. Some of these symbols are connected to a group called Freemasonry.
About John S. McMillin and the Mausoleum's Start
Afterglow Vista was built for John S. McMillin and his family. John S. McMillin was an important person during his life. He worked as a lawyer, a businessman, and was involved in politics.
He was born in Indiana in 1855. John McMillin went to DePauw University. There, he joined a special club called the Sigma Chi fraternity. He even became the first international president of this fraternity.
In 1884, McMillin moved to Washington Territory with his wife and son. He became the owner of the Tacoma and Roche Harbor Lime Company. This company was very important for making lime, a material used in building. John McMillin was also a dedicated member of the Freemasons. This is a worldwide brotherhood that teaches good values and helps its members.
John McMillin decided to have Afterglow Vista built six years before he passed away. The building was finished in 1936, the same year he died. It cost $30,000 to build, which was a lot of money back then!
The Design of Afterglow Vista
Afterglow Vista is found in a peaceful, wooded area. You can reach it by following a path through some gates. These gates have the words "Afterglow Vista" written on top.
The main part of the mausoleum is an open-air rotunda. A rotunda is a round building or room, often with a dome. In the middle of this rotunda is a large table made of limestone.
Around the table are several stone chairs. Each chair is for a member of the McMillin family. Inside each chair, there are hidden spaces called niches. These niches hold the cremated ashes of the family members. The names of each person are carved on the back of their chair.
The design of Afterglow Vista includes many symbols from Freemasonry. For example, there are six columns around the stone table and chairs. But there's also one column that is intentionally broken. This broken column is a symbol. It means that "death can end a person's life." It can also represent work that was not finished during someone's life.
The steps leading up to the stone table and chairs also have meaning. They represent different parts of life. They also stand for different types of architecture, the human senses, and important subjects like the liberal arts and sciences.
Many people consider Afterglow Vista to be a "Masonic landmark." The Sigma Chi fraternity, which John McMillin was a part of, helps look after the mausoleum.
Who is Buried There?
Afterglow Vista is the final resting place for several people:
- John S. McMillin
- His wife, Louella Hiett
- Their sons:
* John Hiett McMillin (born and died in 1878) * Fred Hiett McMillin (1880 – 1922) * Paul Hiett McMillin (1886 – 1961)
- Their daughter, Dorothy Hiett McMillin (1894 – 1980)
Also, the ashes of Adah Beeny (sometimes spelled Ada Beane) are buried there. She was either a caretaker for the McMillin children or John S. McMillin's personal secretary. Her ashes are placed in the same spot as John Hiett McMillin's.
