General Information
The OES originally visited Green Lawn Cemetery on 8/25/2002. We have since returned on numerous occasions, both during the day and night. Green Lawn Cemetery was founded in 1848 in Columbus and is today the second largest cemetery in Ohio. With over 144,000 burials and 360 acres, the cemetery is the final resting place of many notable people. Some of the most recognizable of these are listed below.

The cemetery itself is in relatively good condition, considering its size. This is due in part to the excellent groundskeeper staff and the work of volunteers. In 2003, Green Lawn began an Adopt-A-Lot program where anyone could register to tend a single grave or family plot, mainly for those that have been forgotten to time. The Ohio Exploration Society adopted the Hayden Mausoleum, John Barr family plot, and Georgie Blount's grave. Adopting a lot is free, for more information on adopting a lot, Click Here.

The cemetery is also home to over 150 species of trees including seven state champion trees and is known as a bird sanctuary. It is not uncommon to see bird watchers walking the grounds with binoculars and cameras.

The cemetery's monuments range from tombstones to obelisks to mausoleums. Most are in good condition, but there are a few that have been damaged or weather-worn. According to the "History of Franklin County," published in 1858, the first burial in Green Lawn Cemetery was a child of A.F. Perry, who died on July 7, 1849. Doctor Benjamin F. Gard, who died of cholera on July 12, 1849 after responding to a cholera outbreak at the Ohio Penitentiary, was the second burial. The cemetery is in active use with enough expansion room to serve Columbus for another fifty years.

The cemetery's main mausoleum is the Huntington Chapel / Mausoleum. It was designed by famed architect Frank L. Packard and dedicated in 1902. With a cemetery of this size, it is almost expected to be haunted. While there are said to be many hauntings there, including the Hayden and Huntington Mausoleums, there were few EMF spikes during our numerous visits. We did, however, record some EVPs. They are listed on the last page.
 

Green Lawn Cemetery's Notable People

(In No Particular Order; Click The Name To See The Stone)
 Governor James A. Rhodes  Ohio's three-term governor between 1963-1971 and again between 1975-1983.
 Captain Eddie Rickenbacker  Top American World War I flying ace with 26 confirmed victories.
 Lucas Sullivant  Founder of Franklinton and had a great hand in creating Columbus.
 Samuel P. Bush  Former president of Buckeye Steel and grandfather of George Bush senior.
 James Thurber  Writer and humorist whose boyhood home in Columbus was haunted.
 Governor William Dennison  Ohio's first Civil War governor who served between 1859 and 1861.
 Governor James E. Campbell  Ohio governor between 1890 and 1892. He lost re-election to William McKinley.
 Governor George K. Nash  Ohio governor between 1900 and 1904, he died 8 months after leaving office.
 Governor John W. Bricker  Ohio governor during World War II between 1939 and 1945.
 Dr. Lincoln Goodale  First physician of Columbus and philanthropist. He donated Goodale Park.
 Ovid Smith  Civil War hero as part of Andrews' Raiders, earned the Medal of Honor.
 Orange Johnson  Early pioneer of Worthington who carved eyeglass frames, buttons, and combs.
 Simon Lazarus & Family  Founders of the Lazarus Department stores that are now part of Macy's.
 Thomas & Harriet Woodrow  The grandparents to the 28th United States President Woodrow Wilson.
 Wolfe Family  Publishers, founders of the Columbus Dispatch newspaper.
 Gordon Battelle  Industrialist who willed his money to establish the Battelle Memorial Institute.
 Peter Hayden  Industrialist who founded Haydenville and run its iron smelting business.
 Alfred Kelley  Known as "The Man Who Saved Ohio", he risked it all to build the canal system.
 Pelatiah Webster Huntington  Founder of the Huntington National Bank and donated Green Lawn's organ.
 John David Ireland  Manhattan Project scientist.
 Doctor James H. Snook  More infamous than famous, executed by electric chair after a gruesome murder.
 DeWitt Clinton Badger  Mayor of Columbus between 1906 and 1908.
 Charles Bond  Mayor of Columbus between 1908 and 1909.
 Peter Sells  Co-owner of the Sells Brothers Circus.
 Lyne Starling  Founder of the Starling Medical College, now part of the Ohio State University.
 Don Casto  Father of the shopping center industry.

 
 
 Location Information: Active Cemetery
Green Lawn Cemetery is located at 1000 Greenlawn Avenue in Columbus, Franklin County.
 
 Photographs: 8/25/2002
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The main entrance gate located at the end of Greenlawn Avenue.

Go To Page 2 Of Green Lawn Cemetery