The southwest corner of what was once East Graveyard, now Livingston Park.
East Graveyard, also known as South Graveyard or Livingston Park Graveyard, was the second cemetery set for Columbus, but it is far less known today than its North counterpart.
**Last Updated: 3/5/2024- added more information.
Location
Bounded by Livingston Avenue, Stone Avenue, 18th Street and what is now Children’s Gateway
Years in Use
1839-1876
Closure
1876-1877
Grave Relocations
1882, to Green Lawn
Timeline of Events
The timeline includes general history, reports, mentions in media and more.
April 16, 1838
At a meeting of City Council, Council President Robert W. McCoy reports that the conditions at North Graveyard- of which he is also superintendent- is approaching capacity. Council appoints a committee to purchase more land to enlarge the graveyard. 9 months later, however, the committee reports on an 11 1/4-acre plot of land “on the north side of Livingston road East of the City” that “might be obtained of Mr. Greenwood”. The land is suggested to be a new cemetery for the city. Greenwood is a Councilman.
February 11, 1839
Not long after a visit to see the land, its purchase is ordered and a committee is formed to have the land cleared and surveyed for small family grave lots.
February 13, 1839
The purchase of the land is completed. The land, however, is not purchased from Councilman Greenwood, who doesn’t actually own it. Instead, the city pays Matthew King- who has owned the land for just 2 weeks- a sum of just $25 in cash and $1,100 in city treasury notes.
Over time, lots are sold, but about 1/3rd of the land is never plotted due to its swampy nature.
The early years of the cemetery’s existence saw the burials largely of the city’s German immigrants who occupied nearby neighborhoods.
1859-1867
No expenditures are made by the City for maintenance or repairs. However, lot sales may have provided some funding for general upkeep.
May, 1862-May, 1863
22 Confederate prisoners are buried in the graveyard, all of whom died at Camp Chase.
1868-1869
An expenditure report from the 1868-1869 City of Columbus Annual Report
1873
A Jacob H. Studer- in the publication Columbus, Ohio: Its History, Resources and Progress– claims that the cemetery is “in a miserably-dilapidated condition; the fences once enclosing it are decayed or broken down, and the general wretched appearance of the tract is a disgrace to the city.” By the time of this description, the only burials taking place were for the very poor and “friendless”.
Studer calls for the cemetery to be converted into a park.
1873-1874
Expenditures at East Graveyard from the 1873-1874 City of Columbus Annual Report.
1874-1875
East Graveyard expenditures from the 1874-1875 City of Columbus Annual Report.
1875-1884
Frederick Doel serves as the cemetery’s sexton.
April 10, 1876
City Councilman George J. Rodenfels, elected the previous year, introduces an ordinance to prohibit further burials in the cemetery. The ordinance includes fines or jail time for those who proceed with any burials.
May 15, 1876
Councilman Rodenfels’ ordinance passes.
March 5, 1877
Councilman Rodenfels introduces a resolution declaring that the perimeter fence as mostly gone, and that they “not deem it advisable to retain said property for graveyard purposes”. The resolution passes. Subsequently, it is ordered that anyone with loved ones buried there to have them removed. A committee is also formed to determine whether to divide the land into lots for development or to turn the site into a new park.
September 5, 1881
The land is declared to be a park with the name South Park, and another committee is formed to remove the last tombstones and remains. At the time, it is estimated that some 2,000-2,500 bodies remained interred.
Late 1882
Under the direction of John Schneider, the grave removals are done through a “Doell & Stone”. The thoroughness of the work is highly debatable. The City had purchased 3 lots at Green Lawn Cemetery, but just 10 boxes of remains are buried there. Another 70 reburials are made through families in private lots at Green Lawn. The cost for the City is $2,963.59.
Lot 27, Section 28 at Green Lawn serves as the location for the 10 boxes of remains. No markers are erected.
March 10, 1884
South Park’s name is changed to Livingston Park.
Known Burials
-Catharine Lowe Free, wife of G.W. Free- Born: Around 1811-Died: October 11, 1844
In 1984, the Columbus Dispatch ran an article about how Lowe Free’s headstone had long been used as an informal park bench, and that it was still located by the park’s basketball courts. The headstone’s inscription read “In memory of Catherine, wife of G.W. Free, who died Oct. 11th 1844, aged 33 years, also two infants. Her days on earth was spent, in doing good. And now she reigns, triumphant with her God”. Free’s remains were moved to Green Lawn in 1881, along with a new headstone.
-W. C. Ausbourne: 1st Lieutenant, Arkansas Heavy Artillery: Born: Unknown-Died: May 15, 1862
-Robert McMurry: Co. F, 53rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry: Born: Unknown-Died: May 23, 1862
-Thomas Mundy: 9th Regiment, Louisiana Infantry: Born: Unknown-Died: May 28, 1862
-John C. Cummins: Soldier from Harrison County, Kentucky: Born: Unknown-Died: June 4, 1862
-T.J. Caylor: Soldier from Hampshire County, Virginia: Born: Unknown-Died: July 28, 1862
-J. Prophet: 2nd Regiment, Virginia Infantry: Born: Unknown-Died: September 3, 1862
-J.W. Russell: 21st Regiment, Virginia Infantry: Born: Unknown-Died: September 28, 1862
-Stephen Clarke: Confederate Army: Born: Unknown-Died: October 14, 1862
-T.B. Ferguson: Soldier from Simpson County, Kentucky: Born: Unknown-Died: October 14, 1862
-John Rutherford: Soldier from Taylor County, Virginia: Born: Unknown-Died: October 26, 1862
-G.F. Cooper: Soldier from Taylor County, Virginia: Born: Unknown-Died: November 5, 1862
-George B. Falkington: Soldier from Marion County, Virginia: Born: Unknown-Died: November 23, 1862
-William Gellin: Confederate Army: Born: Unknown-Died: November 24, 1862
-Abraham Ketterman: Soldier from Hardy County, Virginia: Born: Unknown-Died: December 15, 1862
-Joseph B. Paul: Confederate Army: Born: Unknown-Died: December 25, 1862
-John A. Halliburton: Confederate Army: Born: Unknown-Died: January 31, 1863
-W.S. Parker: 1st Lieutenant, 7th Regiment, Texas Cavalry: Born: Unknown-Died: February 7, 1863
-James Candy: Soldier from Hampshire County, Virginia: Born: Unknown-Died: February 9, 1863
-Joseph Albert: Co. B, 6th Regiment, Florida Infantry: Born: Unknown-Died: March 1, 1863
-D.F. Briden: Lieutenant, 24th Regiment, Texas Cavalry: Born: Unknown-Died: March 5, 1863
-Charles Sandefur: Co. B, 4th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry: Born: Unknown-Died: May 3, 1863
-William Kieser: Confederate Army: Born: Unknown-Died: May 28, 1863
Unknown Dates, but known to have been moved to Greenlawn
-Wife of Frederick Schaub
-Emma Cinder
-Alexander and Gertrude Meredeth
-Heinrich Gunther
-John Keiser
-George H. Dill
-Peter Yed
This data comes in part from an issue of The Franklintonian, published in April, 1983. A more comprehensive list of possible burials can be found here.
