Hillside Heritage Lecture ~ "Victorian Death and Civil War"

BATAVIA, NY (10/29/2015)(readMedia)-- What: Hillside Heritage Lecture

"Victorian Death and Civil War"

When: Monday, November 2, 2015, 7 p.m.

Where: Hillside Cemetery

S. Holley Road

Holley, NY 14470

Background:

GCC Associate History Professor Derek Maxfield will bring to an end the month-long series of events called "Hillside Heritage" on Monday, November 2, 2015 at Hillside Cemetery in Holley, NY, when he delivers a lecture on "Victorian Death and the Civil War." The events at the cemetery included three public lectures and a very successful ghost walk and were part of an initiative to bring more attention to the plight of the Gothic Revival chapel at the cemetery, which was completed in 1894. Efforts are underway to raise funds to restore the beautiful Medina sandstone building designed by Rochester architect Addison Forbes.

The Nov. 2 lecture will combine two of Maxfield's research interests in one talk – Victorian culture and the Civil War. By 1861, Victorian culture with its many social rules dominated American society and set the standards of conduct for the ladies and gentlemen of the era. These same social mores played an important role in bringing about the Great War between the states. But the war far exceeded what the Victorians or anyone else expected bringing a cataclysm of suffering and death that would change values and culture profoundly.

The lecture will begin at 7 p.m. in the chapel at Hillside Cemetery. In keeping with the season and era, the lecture will be delivered without the aid of any technology and the chapel will be lit with only oil lamps and candles – producing an appropriately spooky effect. While the lecture is free, donations to the chapel restoration fund will be gladly accepted.

For further information about events at Hillside Cemetery, contact Erin Anheier at erinanheier@aol.com or Derek Maxfield at ddmaxfield@genesee.edu.

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