 From their inception, they were intended as civic institutions designed for public use.Before the widespread development of public parks, the rural cemetery provided a place for the general public to enjoy outdoor recreation amidst art and sculpture previously available only for the wealthy.Thoughts about rural cemeteries evolved toward the end of the 1800s due to the high cost of maintenance, development of true public parks and perceived disorderliness of appearance due to independent ownership of family burial plots and different grave markers.