Cemeteries of Lamar
Location: Lamar
County: Prowers County
Date Constructed: 1896 and 1938; 1924 and 1938
Built by: WPA
Architectural Description:
Lamar has two cemeteries that received improvements during the New Deal era – the Fairmont and the Riverside Cemeteries. Both have prominent stone walls and entry gates similar in design. The majority of the masonry is quarry-faced coursed ashlar, but slab-rock, or giraffe, construction was also used.
Historical Background:
The improvements done to both of the cemeteries were done as one WPA project. The federal appropriation was $7,722, while the city of Lamar contributed $908. The justification for the work reads “Of the two cemeteries covered in this project, one requires extensive landscaping, the other is highly improved. Both, however, are protected only by a common wire fence which is neither sightly nor adequate.” The Fairmont Cemetery was originally designed by Denver landscape architect S.R. DeBoer in 1924. It has been noted that “The Fairmont cemetery, one of the most beautiful in the state, is proof of what can be done with hardy trees and sufficient water and care in this vicinity.” The Riverside Cemetery dates to 1895.