El Campo Santo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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El Campo Santo
Workman Family Cemetery |
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The cemetery's mausoleum
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 15415 E. Don Julian Rd., Industry, California |
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| NRHP reference No. | 74000520 |
| Added to NRHP | November 20, 1974 |
El Campo Santo is a very old cemetery in the City of Industry, California. It is located at the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum. This special place is one of the oldest private cemeteries in Southern California. It holds the remains of important pioneer families. These include the Workman-Temple family. You can also find the tomb of Pío Pico here. He was the last governor of Alta California. This was what California was called before it became part of the United States.
Contents
A Special Family Cemetery
El Campo Santo means "the sacred ground." It is a small cemetery, about half an acre in size. It has low brick walls around it. Inside, you will see a beautiful Neoclassical building called a mausoleum. A mausoleum is a building that holds tombs. There is also a small cemetery plot. This plot is surrounded by a fancy cast-iron fence. The fence is in a Gothic Revival style.
The Cemetery's History
The Workman family started El Campo Santo in the early 1850s. They wanted a cemetery just for their family. They built a brick chapel dedicated to Saint Nicholas. Bishop Thaddeus Amat of Los Angeles blessed it. One of the first people buried here was William Workman's brother, David Workman. He died in an accident in 1855. He was moving cattle to the gold fields in Northern California.
Around the year 1900, the cemetery was left alone. The brick chapel was destroyed by fire. Later, Walter P. Temple, a grandson of the Workmans, stepped in. He went to court to stop anyone from harming the cemetery further. In 1917, he bought the cemetery and the land around it. He then began to restore the site.
Instead of rebuilding the chapel, Walter P. Temple built the cast stone Neoclassical mausoleum. He moved his family's remains inside this new building.
Important People Buried Here
In 1921, Walter P. Temple moved the remains of Pío Pico and his wife, Ygnacia Alvarado de Pico. They were moved from an old cemetery in Downtown Los Angeles. That cemetery was being moved to a new location. Pío Pico and his wife were then placed in the mausoleum at El Campo Santo.
Visiting El Campo Santo
El Campo Santo is a very important historical site. The Workman Home and Family Cemetery are recognized as California Historical Landmark No. 874. The cemetery was also added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 1974. Its number on the register is 145.
You can visit El Campo Santo. There is a free brochure at the museum office. This brochure will guide you on a self-guided tour.
Gallery
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The mausoleum from the side
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The cemetery plot
