One of Virginia’s most important historic cemeteries, Blandford reflects the long history of Petersburg and surrounding counties. Centered around the colonial Blandford Church, where burials date from 1702, Blandford Cemetery is now the third largest in Virginia, after Arlington National Cemetery and Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond. Two Virginia governors, a Revolutionary War British general, three Confederate generals, and 30,000 Confederate dead are buried here. Its collection of decorative fences and gates, in both cast and wrought iron, is the finest in the state. Much of the ironwork was produced by unknown artisans, but some can be traced to firms such as Barnes in Richmond, Wickersham in New York, and Wood and Perot in Philadelphia. The Blandford Cemetery gravestones are a collection of sculpture in sandstone, slate, marble, and granite. The wide variety of monuments trace changing attitudes toward death and mourning. Flowers, angels, and lilies are the favorite Victorian symbols here.