Mausoleum entombment is the oldest form of burial. Christ was entombed in a rock-hewn crypt given to the family by Joseph of Arimathea. Since then, above ground entombment has become the preferred method of burial. Over the years, many families followed and provided prearrangements in their own private family mausoleums. Later, came the development of community (public) mausoleums providing an affordable and ideal method of burial for all families.
Through the years, mausoleum entombment has come to symbolize durability, devotion, and honor. The Egyptians built the Pyramids to serve as tombs for their kings. The Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is a beautiful mausoleum for the favorite wife of the emperor of India. And our nation has chosen above-ground entombment in a mausoleum to honor our war dead in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Crown Hill Cemetery offers four mausoleum choices. They are the Indoor Community Mausoleum, Outdoor Garden Mausoleums, Private Family Mausoleums, and Sarcophaguses.
The Community Mausoleum, built in 1950, features indoor crypts that are protected from the elements. The visitation corridors are temperature controlled for the comfort of our visitors. The crypt fronts consist of Light Cloud Marble on which the memorial inscriptions are carved. Entombment services are held in the beautiful Peace Chapel, which is located on the upper level. Featured in the Peace Chapel is a stained glass window honoring the Eli Lilly Family.
The Abbey Mausoleum, built in 1995, and the Pines Mausoleum, built in 1998, are our most available Garden Mausoleum options. The Abbey is located on our North Grounds; the Pines on the South. Both offer unsurpassed examples of durability and beauty. They are built for the ages with limestone, steel, concrete and granite construction in a lovely outdoor setting. The true benefit of above ground entombment in our garden mausoleums is its beauty and economy. Each crypt has a time-defying bronze inscription plaque for memorialization. We also have private estate rooms for those who wish for more personalization.
Due to the overwhelming demand for mausoleum entombment, we at Crown Hill are currently building additional crypt spaces to the Pines Mausoleum. As a result we offer these crypts at a pre-construction price in addition to our normal low price when purchased in advance of need.
Crown Hill Cemetery currently has 57 Private Family Mausoleums with ground space available for future constructions in many beautiful areas of Crown Hill.
We find that families are choosing mausoleum entombment as an alternative to ground burial because of convenience in locating the space; comfort while visiting during inclement weather; and cost. A purchase of a mausoleum crypt includes the space, vault, opening/closing service, and memorialization all packaged into one price, as opposed to ground burial where these four elements must be purchased separately.
Crypt spaces are constructed of steel reinforced concrete, so they are incredibly strong. At Crown Hill they are available in either Tandems, where two caskets are placed head-to-head in one long chamber; Companions, where each casket is placed in an individual crypt space side by side; or Individual Singles. Pricing depends on three things; the type of crypt space (single, companion, or tandem); the level (elevation); and the location within a mausoleum complex.
