How Columbariums Came to Be

Many churches and cemeteries have made the decision to erect a columbarium for the cremated remains of those who wish to be buried there, but some people may not realize what a columbarium is or how they came to be. Columbarium Planners will work with your church or cemetery to help you choose the right solution if you choose to have one built, but let’s take a look at the history of these sacred structures.

The Earliest Columbariums

Cremation was normal practice during the early Roman Empire, and columbariums were structures that were commonly built to house the cremated remains. The lower and middle classes in Rome belonged to funeral societies that built and supervised these columbariums. The earliest versions started off very similar to the way they look now, typically being rectangular brick structures surrounding an open court. They even had niches for urns just as they do now, and were very elaborate with inscriptions, paintings, and mosaics.

Columbariums Then and Now

The earliest columbariums were often partially or completely built underground, and eventually became obsolete for several centuries as burial traditions changed. They were revived in the 1900s when cremation once again became a common end-of-life choice. And now that cremation has actually overtaken traditional burial as the most popular choice, building a columbarium to house urns at your church or cemetery is more important than ever.

Why You Should Choose a Columbarium

Every family deserves to honor their loved one in a way that represents their values and the person's legacy. A columbarium is a beautiful, sacred space for prayer and meditation so that families and friends can pay their respects. Columbarium Planners has been helping churches and cemeteries by taking all of their desires into consideration in order to design and build columbariums since 1994.

Request Information Today

If your church or cemetery would like to provide a sacred space to house the urns of those who have passed on in your community, then consider building a columbarium. Contact Columbarium Planners at (910) 295-8328 or request information now. We build columbariums in the eastern half of the United States, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and beyond.