Florence Bernardin Rees

AKA:

Bernardine Rees

Birth Name:

Birth Date:

July 20, 1859

Birth Place:

Lexington, Kentucky

Death Date:

February 7, 1862

Place of Death:

Richmond, Virginia

Age:

Cause of Death:

Scarlet Fever

Cemetery Name:

Hollywood Cemetery

Claim to Fame:

The Odd and the Interesting

In 1862 two-year-old Bernardine died from Scarlet Fever and her grave is often found adorned with trinkets, toys, rings, flowers, and stones. But what makes Bernardine's final resting place such a tourist draw is that it is guarded by a black iron dog. How did it get there? Before the Civil War, the Richmond dog stood at a storefront of photographer Charles R. Rees (whose name is on the cemetery plot). Children loved the dog and his young niece was no exception. When his niece contracted Scarlet Fever and passed away (that area of the cemetery is loaded with plots of young children who passed in similar fashion) Charles had the statue moved to her grave as a tribute. Today the Iron Dog (aka the Black Dog) is one of the most visited gravesites in Hollywood Cemetery.

Fun Fact

On more than one occasion visitors have heard the dog growl and swear it moved if they got too close to the grave of Bernardine. Unfortunately upon our visit we did not encounter any paranormal activity.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Hollywood Cemetery

412 South Cherry Street

Richmond, Virginia, 23220

United States

North America

Map:

Map of Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia

Grave Location:

Section C, Lot 1, Grave 1

Grave Location Description

The Iron Dog (aka the Black Dog) that guards the final resting place of the infant girl can be found by entering the gates of the cemetery and taking the first right over the bridge. Follow the blue line to your right up the steep hill on Confederate Avenue. Stop at the first intersection of Confederate Avenue and Cedar Avenue. Park and look to your left for the large Newfoundland standing guard over the grave of Bernardine Rees.

Grave Location GPS

37.53978263685765, -77.45502493774777

Visiting The Grave:

Photos:

[+]

FAQ's

Florence Bernardin Rees was born on July 20, 1859.

Florence Bernardin Rees was born in Lexington, Kentucky.

Florence Bernardin Rees died on February 7, 1862 .

Florence Bernardin Rees died in Richmond, Virginia.

Florence Bernardin Rees was 2.

The cause of death was Scarlet Fever.

Florence Bernardin Rees's grave is in Hollywood Cemetery

Videos Featuring Florence Bernardin Rees:

Hollywood Cemetery - Cast Iron Dog

The Tragic Tale and Haunting Mystery of the Iron Dog Grave

Little Girl's Guard Dog

The Black Dog of Hollywood Cemetery

See More:

Nancy Martin

Amelia Maggia

popular name: Amelia Maggia

date_of_death: September 12, 1922

age: 25

cause_of_death: Radium sarcoma, industrial poisoning

claim_to_fame: The Odd and the Interesting

best_know_for: Amelia ‘Mollie’ Maggia was the middle child of seven Maggia sisters; listed in order of age: Louise, Clara, Albina, Mollie, Quinta, Irma and Josephine. Children of Italian immigrants, Albina, Mollie, Quinta and Irma all worked in the radium-dial factory. Mollie was an exceptional dial-painter – but paid the price. She was the first dial-painter to die in September 1922. The initial effects of radium seemed harmless, and the substance was popular amongst the younger girls in the factory. They would go home from a day of painting with their clothes glowing from the radium exposure. Some would even paint the buttons on their dresses or their nails, but the joy of the radium glow was short lived. Long-term radiation sickness symptoms soon became present among many of the women who worked with radium paint. Common issues included bone cancer, anemia, lesions, and sores. These problems were exhibited in Amelia Maggia, the first dial painter to die from radiation sickness. Amelia worked in the factory for almost a decade and was known to be a diligent employee. Amelia had initially gone to the doctor complaining of a toothache and got an extraction. However, the ache in her jaw continued. During a routine exam, when the doctor gently probed here jaw, her jawbone literally fell out of her mouth into his hands. Upon closer examination he found extensive deterioration of her lower jaw bone and tissue damage from the radiation. Most of her jaw was removed and she developed severe anemia and lesions with massive infections. Amelia passed away in September of 1922 at the age of 25 when the radiation caused a jugular vein to rupture and she bled to death in front of her family. Her death was wrongly attributed to syphilis.

Florence Bernardin Rees