Tombstone of Charles Irving Thornton facts for kids
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Charles Irving Thornton Tombstone
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A closeup view of the tombstone, seen in April, 2017
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | West of Cumberland, off Oak Hill Forest Rd., Cumberland State Forest, near Cumberland, Cumberland County, Virginia |
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| Built | 1842 |
| NRHP reference No. | 80004186 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 25, 1980 |
Charles Irving Thornton was a baby boy who lived in Virginia in the 1800s. He was born on January 20, 1841, and sadly passed away on March 12, 1842, when he was just 13 months old.
His special tombstone is located in Cumberland State Forest in Cumberland County, Virginia. What makes it so unique is that it's one of only two gravestones in the entire world, and the only one in the United States, that has words written by the famous author Charles Dickens. This tombstone is so important that it's listed on both the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.
The Story Behind the Tombstone
Charles Irving Thornton was the son of Anthony and M. I. Thornton. After young Charles passed away, a doctor named Dr. Deane, who had been caring for him, decided to write to Charles Dickens. He asked Dickens to write a special message, called an epitaph, for the baby's grave.
Dickens had recently visited Virginia as part of his trip around the United States. By the time Dr. Deane wrote to him, Dickens had moved on to Ohio. It's still a bit of a mystery why Dickens agreed to write the epitaph. Some historians think there might have been a family connection between Dickens, the Thorntons, and another famous writer, Washington Irving.
You can still visit Charles Irving Thornton's grave today. It's in a part of the state forest that can be hard to find, but park rangers are happy to help guide visitors to the spot.
The Special Epitaph
The words on the tombstone were slightly changed from what Charles Dickens originally wrote. Here is what the epitaph says:
| THIS IS THE GRAVE of |
