William H. Haxall was one of the original founders of Hollywood Cemetery. In the spring of 1847, two citizens of Richmond, Joshua J. Fry and William H. Haxall, while on a visit to Boston, visited Mount Auburn, a beautiful cemetery near that city. They were impressed by the solemn grandeur of the place and resolved that they would, on their return to Richmond, propose the establishment of a rural cemetery near the city. It was through their original efforts and the subsequent cooperation of local citizens that Hollywood Cemetery was created. On June 3, 1847, Haxall, Fry, William Mitchell Jr., and Isaac Davenport Sr. purchased from Lewis E. Harvie—who sold under a deed of trust from Jacueline B. Harvie for the sum of $4,075—a certain portion of the lots or parcels of land in the town of Sydney, in the County of Henrico, together with “the privileges and appurtenances to the belonging, which said portion is adjoining to Clarkes Spring and contains by survey forty-two acres, three roods, but of which one rood, known as Harvie’s rood, or graveyard, with free ingress and egress to the said graveyard is reserved.” This purchase was made with the design of establishing a rural cemetery.

Source of information: Library of Virginia Digital Collection; LVA Titled Files: Survey Report, Hollywood Cemetery: March 23, 1937; research by Malcolm T. Earley.