Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum
4521 Spring Grove AveCincinnati, OH 45232-1934
513-681-7526 | www.springgrove.org
Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum
One of the largest garden cemeteries in the United States, Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum was founded in 1845 to provide adequate burial grounds to handle the significant number of deaths during a cholera epidemic in Cincinnati. In 2007, this cemetery earned designation on the National Register of Historic Places.
One of the largest garden cemeteries in the United States, Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum was founded in 1845 to provide adequate burial grounds to deal handle the significant number of deaths during a cholera epidemic in 1840s Cincinnati. In 2007, this cemetery earned designation on the National Register of Historic Places.
The members of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society sought to follow a national trend and design a picturesque park-like cemetery reminiscent of “rural” cemeteries just outside of large cities. In the nineteenth century, the city was growing exponentially in terms of population and buildings. Therefore, residents began looking outside of the basin for burial grounds. The area along Spring Grove Avenue was ideal because it offered initially 167 acres; the cemetery now covers 782 acres.
Adolph Strauch designed and created much of the ground’s beauty. It was Strauch’s goal to use winding paths, rolling hills and diversity of landscaping to create the environment of a spacious park for the living and a permanently peaceful resting place for the dead. The groundskeepers brought in many exotic flowers, trees, and birds to pay homage to the original home countries of those buried on the grounds. The cemetery’s main entrance contains Gothic style buildings, originally used as offices, built in 1863 and 1867. Many notable Cincinnati citizens are buried in Spring Grove, including Daniel Drake, Nicholas Longworth, James Gamble, William Proctor, Joseph Hooker, Bernard Kroger, Salmon Chase, and Waite Hoyt. Numerous mausoleums dot the landscape.. Perhaps the most famous of these is the Dexter family mausoleum, a gothic structure designed by James Keys Wilson who felt inspired by the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.
Due to its beauty and location away from the basin, Spring Grove Cemetery was a popular spot for strolling and picnicking in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Today, its beauty lives on.
Notes for Travelers
You may park anywhere along the roads within the cemetery. However, please do not park in the grass as this will impact the landscaping. Swans may also be a concern during various points of the year. Please respect the wildlife; they may be dangerous during breeding season.
Credits
Kristen FlemingAdditional Resources
Nuxhall, Phillip J., Randall Lee Schieber, Charles Gast, Robert A. Flischel. Beauty in the Grove: Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum. Wilmington, Ohio: Orange Frazer Press, 2009.Strauch, Adolphus. Spring Grove Cemetery: Its History and Improvements, with Observations on Ancient and Modern Places of Sepulture. Cincinnati: Robert Clark & Co., 1869. Hathi Trust.