Tallahassee Exploration: The Calvin Phillips Mausoleum in Oakland Cemetery

Locals and travelers who frequently drive by the Oakland Cemetery on Brevard Street near the Governor's Mansion actually spot the Phillips Mausoleum looming atop the graveyard's south hill. The most storied structure, which is a strange onion-domed mausoleum also serve as a constant spook to travelers. 

According to Haunted Places, Calvin Phillips built himself this very first and well-known mausoleum in Oakland Cemetery in 1900. He allegedly instructed his master carpenter to make a cherry-wood casket in the mausoleum. And after the structure was finished, it was believed that Phillips crawled inside and locked the door in the crypt and he died inside.

Some residents near the cemetery claim that they experience paranormal activities around the strange mausoleum. Some locals also think that in his planning on doing the mausoleum, he had given its key and lock to a friend so the vault could be locked after his death. 

Phillips even designed the structures for the 1877 Paris Expo and the 1892 World's Fair in Chicago. So for his last resting place, he took special care to design it and even applied a bizarre mix of Roman, Doric, Greek, and Indian influences to the 20-foot-high construction. His surname which is "Phillips" is also engraved into the marble above the doorway, as claimed by Atlas Obscura.

The Phillips tomb is in poor maintenance and repair during these times, but the architectural styles  can still be appreciated for its oddness. One local scholar, Jonathan Lammers, even stated via Tallahassee DemocratTop of Form that it has "a really freaky Free Mason-US-currency-engraving feel" in it. In the year 2000, vandals also broke into the crypt and stole Phillips' skull. And up to now, the case remains unsolved, and is considered another mystery among many. 

To date, although  no one is exactly sure what is the reason behind his death, many travelers still report paranormal experiences upon their encounter with the Phillips Mausoleum. And up to this time, many strange stories have emerged because of the mausoleum.