Riverside Memorial Park

History

Riverside Memorial Park was established by a private company in 1910 in the Campostella Heights area of Norfolk. The City of Norfolk purchased it in 1971. Riverside has a unique design – like the spokes of a wheel extending outward from a central main circle creating pie slice shaped sections. Since 1995, over 200 trees have been planted at Riverside as part of an ongoing urban forestry program thereby contributing to the arboreal ambiance of the park. The Hendricks family owned and operated the cemetery in its early days while operating a monument company on site; thus there are many large family monuments in the older sections of the park. The Langley Angel Monument located in the Magnolia Section is the largest of these. Riverside was once the home of a large bell tower built in the main circle. The bell would chime when funeral services were conducted and was heard throughout the neighborhood. The US Army used the bell tower as a lookout during WWII since Riverside is one of the highest points in Tidewater. A US Army camp was maintained in the back of the cemetery during that time for the same reason. Unfortunately, the bell tower fell into disrepair and was demolished in the 1970s. The cemetery’s original office, gate and columns were removed in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Riverside has a variety of graves for sale.

Contact Information

1000 Indian River Rd., Norfolk, Virginia 23523, Phone (757) 441-1967 (map)

Office Hours

Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Closed Saturday and Sunday (Appointments available by request)

Cemetery Hours

Sunrise to Sunset

Aerial Photograph & Plot Information

Click here for an aerial view of Riverside Memorial Park.
Click here for a map of Riverside Memorial Park.

*USGenWeb Archives, a cooperative network of volunteers that provides genealogical information on the Internet, has partnered with the Bureau of Cemeteries to provide an interment catalogue of Riverside Memorial Park. This catalogue is not complete. It is updated from Bureau records every six months. The Bureau is working to provide an official, accurate, searchable City interment database online. If you cannot locate an interment, please call (757) 441-2654 or e-mail bobette.nelson@norfolk.gov for more information. To access the catalog, click here.

Are you interested in volunteering to help us collect genealogical information, restore and preserve Riverside Memorial Park? If so, please click here for more information.