Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery facts for kids
Portal of the Folded Wings, Shrine to Aviation
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| Details | |
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| Established | 1923 |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Size | 63 acres (25 ha) |
Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery is a special place located in North Hollywood, Los Angeles and Burbank, California. It's a cemetery where many people are laid to rest.
A very famous part of the cemetery is its entrance, called the Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation. This shrine is a final resting place for brave aviation pioneers. These were people who loved to fly, like barnstormers and daredevils. It also has memorials to famous aviators like Amelia Earhart, celebrating their amazing achievements in flight.
Many well-known celebrities from the entertainment world are also buried here.
The beautiful shrine has a colorful tiled dome. It also features statues of women reaching their arms towards the sky. The name "Valhalla" comes from the hall of Odin, a Norse god. It was a place for warriors who had passed away.
The Cemetery's Beginning
Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery started in 1923. It was founded by two businessmen from Los Angeles, John R. Osborne and C. C. Fitzpatrick. The main entrance building was designed by architect Kenneth McDonald Jr. It has a style called Spanish Mission Revival.
For the fancy stone decorations, McDonald hired Federico A. Giorgi. He was an Italian sculptor who had made huge statues for movies. He also helped create parts of the Million Dollar Theater in downtown Los Angeles. This grand entrance to the new cemetery cost $140,000 back then.
The main round building, called the rotunda, was officially opened on March 1, 1925. There was a concert by a famous singer named Maude Elliott. People even had picnics on the grass around the reflecting pools. The cemetery used flat grave markers, which was a new idea at the time. The rotunda became a popular spot for tourists. It was also used for concerts that were broadcast on the radio.
However, just five months after the opening, the founders, Osborne and Fitzpatrick, were found guilty of a crime. They had sold the same burial plots many times over, making a lot of money. They were fined and sentenced to prison, but they served less than three years.
California Takes Over
After the founders were found guilty, the state of California took control of the cemetery. It's not clear how long the state owned the 63-acre (250,000 m2) cemetery. Then, in 1950, a company called Pierce Brothers bought it.
Within two years, Pierce Brothers changed the cemetery's entrance. They moved it from Valhalla Drive to Victory and Cahuenga boulevards. They also built a new office and funeral home there.
On December 17, 1953, the rotunda was given a new purpose. It was rededicated as the Portal of the Folded Wings. This happened thanks to James Gillette, who loved aviation and worked at the cemetery. This date was also the 50th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight. During the ceremony, the ashes of Walter R. Brookins were buried there. He was the first aviator to fly a plane a mile high.
When the sculptor Giorgi passed away in 1963, he was buried near his amazing creation. James Gillette, who helped create the shrine, was also buried nearby.
The memorial was even shown on a TV show called Visiting... with Huell Howser.
The Northridge Earthquake
The main shrine building was badly damaged during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. But it was repaired and reopened in 1996. Two years later, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical site.
Changes in Ownership
In 1958, Pierce Brothers sold their cemeteries and funeral homes. A financier named Joe Allbritton bought them. He later sold 20 acres (81,000 m2) of Valhalla's land for new buildings. In 1991, another company, Service Corp. International, bought the cemeteries. Even today, the Pierce Brothers sign is still at Valhalla.
Aviation Heroes Rest Here
Under the memorial tablets at the Portal of the Folded Wings, many other aviation pioneers are buried. These are people who made flying possible:
- Augustus Roy Knabenshue (1876–1960): In 1904, he became America's first pilot of a dirigible (a type of airship). He even started a passenger service for dirigibles.
- Evelyn "Bobbi" Trout (1906–2003): She set many records for how long, how far, and how high planes could fly.
- James Floyd Smith (1884–1956): He built and flew his own plane in 1912. He also invented a special parachute for the Army in 1918.
- Hilder Florentina Smith (1890–1977): She became a parachute jumper in 1914. Later, she was the first female pilot to fly from the area that is now Los Angeles International Airport. She was married to James Floyd Smith.
- Matilde Moisant: She was the second American woman to get her pilot's license. She let her friend Harriet Quimby be first because Harriet needed the recognition for her writing.
- John B. Moisant (1868–1910): He designed and built the first airplane made of metal. Matilde Moisant was his sister.
Famous People Buried Here
Note: This is a short list of some well-known people buried at Valhalla Memorial Park.
| Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
A
- Luis Alberni (1886–1962), actor
- Mary Alden (1883–1946), actress
B
- Bea Benaderet (1906–1968), actress and voice actress
- Willie Best (1916–1962), actor
- Walter Brookins (1889–1953), aviation pioneer
C
- Yakima Canutt (1895–1986), actor, stuntman, and director
- Mae Clarke (1910–1992), actress
- Melville Cooper (1896–1973), actor
- Aneta Corsaut (1933–1995), actress
D
- Joe DeRita (1909–1993), actor and comedian, part of The Three Stooges
E
- Cliff Edwards (1895–1971), actor, singer, and voice-over artist
G
- Gorgeous George (1915–1963), professional wrestler
- Gladys George (1904–1954), actress
- Lita Grey (1908–1995), actress and Charlie Chaplin's second wife
H
- Lois Hamilton (1952–1999), model, author, actress, artist, and aviator
- Oliver Hardy (1892–1957), famous actor and comedian, known for Laurel and Hardy
K
- Jack Kirby (1917–1994), famous comic book artist
M
- Mantan Moreland (1902–1973), actor
- Mae Murray (1885–1965), actress
N
- Fayard Nicholas (1914–2006), actor and dancer
R
- Gail Russell (1924–1961), actress
S
- Madame Sul-Te-Wan (1873–1959), actress
T
- Charlie Taylor (1868–1956), aviation engineer
- Alice Terry (1900–1987), actress
V
- Martha Vickers (1925–1971), actress and model
W
- Ken Weatherwax (1955–2014), actor (played Pugsley on The Addams Family)
- Rudd Weatherwax (1907–1985), animal trainer (trained Lassie)
- Alice White (1904–1983), actress
