St Peter's Cemetary

It’s said the largest public display of art can be found in cemeteries across the nation, and Parsons Cemetery here has some masterpieces in stone, custom-made iron fencing and porcelain grave photos.The collection includes a one-of-a-kind memorial by the famed Tiffany Studio of New York that Carol Smith, a volunteer with the cemetery’s leadership committee, called “magnificent.”The 15-foot white marble cross, entirely hand-carved, marks the grave of Maryland Gov. Elihu Jackson, who died in 1907.In the graveyard are delicate flowers, complex Celtic knots, figural carvings, even an-18-foot pink column made of the rarest marble in America, some of the finest stonework in the state, found right here in Salisbury.Seven self-guided walking tours of Parsons Cemetery — organized to raise awareness of the importance of its beauty and history — are drawing interest in the community.“We are doing exactly what other historic cemeteries are doing, turning their cemeteries into outdoor museums,” said Smith.The Parsons Cemetery Advisory Committee operates the graveyard, established in 1873.Anyone interested may tour the grounds and gravesites from dawn to dusk, using as their guide a map at the cemetery entrance.Information is also on the website, at parsonscemetery.com.Using cell phones, visitors can look up graves of those who were prominent in Salisbury.The tours are free and titled: The 1800s: Parsons Cemetery Historic Section Walking (Bus) Tour; Through the Centuries: Continuing the Historic Walking Tour Throughout Parsons Cemetery; Parsons’ Heroes and Veterans:  Parsons Cemetery’s Military Walking Tour;Art, Culture, and Symbolism Through Periods of Prudence, Opulence, Wars, and Depression:  Parsons Cemetery’s Interpretive Tour;The New Millennium: Parsons Cemetery Today, Tomorrow, and Always; The History Mysteries:  Parsons Cemetery’s Folklore, Mysteries, Observations; and Meet the Trees: Parsons Cemetery’s Tree and Garden Tour.There has been a Chesapeake Ghost Tour, not because the grounds are haunted but because those who enjoy ghost tours also like old...