Forest Lawn's "Wee Kirk o' the Heather" Chapel

There is a book called "The WPA Guide to the City of Angels" originally published in the 1930s, and penned by writers working under the auspices of The Federal Writers Project. This guide highlighted venues in and around Los Angeles and included maps, photos, illustrations and general information about various communities surrounding Los Angeles proper. It was the guide for anyone interested in LA communities, either for a a short visit or even a long stay.

In 2011, writer David Kipen resurrected the guide and, on a lark, I decided to visit some of the places discussed. I started with Glendale because I live in the community and because there are areas in this area I've never visited.

First, a little background about Glendale...

This sleepy little 'burb' resides to the northeast of Los Angeles, increasing in population from 300 in 1888 [when a "narrow gauge" steam engine railway connected Glendale to downtown Los Angeles] to 2,000 in 1906 [when it was incorporated] to 13,000 in 1920. The 2010 census put Glendale's population at nearly 192,000 which was increased to 192,674 in 2012.

Today, I visited the Forest Lawn venue, the Wee Kirk o' the Heather Chapel.

As I entered the Forest Lawn grounds, I asked for directions to the "Annie Laurie Chapel." The attendant gave me a blank stare, having no idea what I was talking about, so I decided to wander around the 220 acre property... and of course, came upon it almost immediately. It's a quaint chapel, fashioned after the Glencairn, Scotland structure where "bonnie" Annie Laurie worshipped and was eventually interred in 1764 [although there is some debate about this point...]. It is however, a beautiful structure and has been lovingly recreated using stone, slate roofing and solid oak entryways.

After visiting the chapel, I wandered the grounds for awhile, and observed that for the most part, tombstones [or memorials] are set into the ground, rather than above. [As the guide notes...] "unsightly" tombstones are not allowed here... merely brass plates on the grass. Although this is true, there are some [thoughtfully designed] tombs situated above ground in various parts of the cemetery.