From the Collection: Greenwood Cemetery Receiving Vault Door

By Meghan E. Gattignolo 

Spooky season has fallen heavily upon us once more, and what’s spookier than spending a little time in a cemetery on a chilly fall day? 

I asked Curator of Collections Matthew Sarnelli to suggest an item from the collection to be the subject of this article. Matthew’s pick: A large heavy metal door with few embellishments. The door features a cross prominently displayed on the front and swirling accents on the hinges. The cross shape is interesting, an equal-length cross reminiscent of medieval English heraldic art. The door was made sometime between 1880-1920, and its origin takes us to Greenwood Cemetery.

A Family’s Final Resting Place

During the Historic Greenwood Cemetery Walking Tour, Lead Visitor Services Associate Kim Raines passes by the Miller family’s vault, or mausoleum. This is the structure for which the door now in The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center’s collection was originally made. Donated in 2017 by the current family who owns the building, the door is a great example of a local family helping to tell the story of Clarksville through contributing to the museum’s collection.

J.Z. and Sara Miller purchased the vault in 1978 and are interred there now. The Miller vault is also distinct in that it’s one of the rare chances to see symbolism other than that of the Christian religion in Greenwood, because the Miller family is Jewish. The vault building sports two Stars of David, each in the top corner of the building’s front face.  

Miller Family Mausoleum. Photo by Meghan Collins.

Frozen Ground

This vault has been a structure in the cemetery for a long time. Greenwood Cemetery opened in 1872 in response to a need for a larger cemetery space so Clarksville residents could mourn their loved ones in peace. Following the Civil War, many church graveyards near the city’s center were landlocked so expansion was not an option. Also, the nearby bars and saloons around Franklin Street made solemn gravesite visitation impossible. Greenwood Cemetery is remarkable for its picturesque rolling green hills and trees–a definite upgrade. 

The vault in question also famously housed the body of A.H. Patch, Clarksville’s local inventor of the Black Hawk Corn Sheller. Museum visitors can see one of Patch’s corn shellers in the Becoming Clarksville exhibit in Heritage Hall. Patch passed away in the dead of winter January 29, 1909. Until his funeral could be held, his body was kept in the vault. He was buried the following March 11th when the ground was thawed enough to dig. 

In the days before modern funerary practices, refrigeration, and better digging equipment, vaults were essential for storing bodies until they could be properly laid to rest. Sometimes, like in the case of Patch, it was because the ground was too hard. Occasionally, burials were delayed for other reasons, such as the family being not all present because they were traveling or held up in another city. A trip of a few hours today could have taken a few days 120 years ago.  

A.H. Patch’s gravesite at Greenwood Cemetery. Photo by Meghan Collins.

Ancient Origins

Even though the door is described as a receiving vault door, the structure itself of which the door was once a part is more precisely referred to as a mausoleum. Mausoleums are used as places for burial. While this building hasn’t always been used as a final resting place, it certainly is now. 

We get the word mausoleum from ancient Greek culture and also from the first ever recorded use of a mausoleum. Mausolus of Caria, a region on the Aegean Sea in modern-day Turkey, is famous for planning his own burial. His final resting place – The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus – was so massive that it was included in the list of the seven wonders of the ancient world. 

Greenwood Cemetery Tour. Photo by Meghan Collins.

Cemetery Tours Gone Soon!

There are only two more cemetery tours left this season! Do you have your tickets? The final Historic Greenwood Cemetery Walking Tour with museum staff member Kim Raines is this Saturday, October 19th. Learn about fascinating stories from Clarksville’s legendary and notable figures while strolling through the peaceful grounds. Don’t miss the Miller vault on your way out. 

October 26th is the last opportunity of the year to check out the Historic Riverview Cemetery Walking Tour, the city’s oldest and first public cemetery. 

Special thanks to Curator of Collections Matthew Sarnelli for his assistance with the information about the collection item used in this article. An add-on to the cemetery tours is a special curator talk with Matthew, so ask for it when you purchase your tickets.

Also note that you can peruse the museum’s collection online whenever you want. Is there a particular item you’d like to learn more about? Let us know in the comments on The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center’s Facebook page!


Meghan E. Gattignolo is a freelance writer and longtime Clarksville, TN resident. She loves to obsess about historical subjects and annoy her family daily with unsolicited random facts. Meghan holds a History B.A. from Austin Peay State University and lives in town with her husband and two children. 

Back to Blog