This angel statue was immortalized by Thomas Wolfe in his novel Look Homeward Angel. The angel is now at the Oakdale Cemetery in Hendersonville, NC. The statue was imported from Italy by Thomas Wolfe’s father, and was bought by members of the Johnson family after the death of Mrs. Johnson in 1905. The gravesite belongs to Reverend and Mrs. H.F. Johnson and their son. In 1975, when the statue was accidentally knocked from its stand, the Henderson County Commissioners had the graves enclosed with a six-foot tall iron picket fence set on a stone wall. This still allows visitors to view the statue and reduces the possibility of damage to the monument.
This is a beautiful cemetery. Some of the graves date back to the 1800's, and there are a lot of veterns from different wars buried here, including Confederate Soldiers.
