SPRING GROVE CEMETERY
4521 Spring Grove Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45232-1934
513.681.6680
Established: 1845
Acres: 733
Official Website
Bella Morte Rating: 5 Tombstones
Officially re-named Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum in 1987 in order to designate the grounds not only as a place for interment but also to recognize the vast array of native and exotic plants and trees it contains, Spring Grove is the largest private, non-profit cemetery in the States. Currently, only about only about 400 of the graveyard's 733 verdant acres have been developed. This ensures that the grounds will continue to be in active use for what the cemetery projects to be hundreds of years.
For the lover of cities of the silent, Spring Grove is the sort of place gothic dreams are made of. Visitors who roam the grounds will discover countless breathtaking mausoleums, monuments, and memorials as well as twelve ponds, miles of lush hills, beautiful trees and all manner of places ripe for haunting visions of ladies in black.
There is so much to see at Spring Grove that it is difficult indeed to single out favourites; however, we will share a word about two memorials we simply cannot bear to miss each time we visit this amazing graveyard...
The Dexter Mausoleum:
Located on a stunning lot overlooking Geyser Lake and Strauch Island, the Dexter Mausoleum resembles a Gothic cathedral. Designed by Cincinnati architect James Keyes Wilson over a four year period (1865-1869) the mausoleum was commissioned to resemble Sainte Chapelle in Paris. Though many mistakenly believe the structure to be one of the cemetery's chapels, it is, in fact, a private family crypt. This is the resting place of Mr. Dexter, a German immigrant and "whiskey baron," and his family. Often photographed, the Dexter Mausoleum was featured as a backdrop for the Cincinnati Ballet's 1999 season brochure. What better way to attract people to the season-opening "Spooky Tales" than to lure them in with photos of dancer Hawley Rowe, her lithe limbs and diaphanous gown highlighted against the haunting Dexter Mausoleum? Sadly, this amazing tomb was constructed of sandstone, a notoriously weak building material. Despite various attempts at restoration and preservation, the structure continues a relentless journey towards decay and stands under the threat of eventual demolition. This would be an enormous loss as the mausoleum is certainly one of Spring Grove's most astonishing landmarks.
A.E. Burkhardt Memorial:
The mourning woman is a common image in funerary art; however, it takes the skill of a truly gifted artist to capture the grieving female form with the grace exemplified in the bronze sculpture which adorns Spring Grove's Burkhardt memorial. Her veiled head bowed, she gently clasps a wreath in her left hand, a palm frond in her right, while her robes spill like water over the stone pedestal on which she kneels. Like the Dexter Mausoleum, the Burkhardt bronze is one of the cemetery's most frequently photographed memorials. Gothic models are irresistibly drawn to pose beside this, their silent sister, who waits quietly at the roadside, welcoming all who wish to join in her beautiful lament.
Of course, there are other stunning memorials too numerous to elaborate upon within the confines of this brief introduction to Spring Grove. Rest assured that one could easily spend days on the grounds and still not see all that is offered in this place of peace and respite.
For those of you who appreciate the atmosphere of community mausoleums, make sure to stop by the Memorial Mausoleum located just inside the main gates. While certainly not the most captivating community mausoleum we have explored, it is not without its points of interest. This facility is open to the public, unlike the buildings of the Lakeside Mausoleum Complex which are locked to all but family members and those accompanied by cemetery staff. Having been inside, we can attest to the fact that this is no great loss, however, as the Complex, like so many contemporary structures, suffers from the bane of uniformity save for a few sections containing glass-front niches where expressions of individuality are a welcome relief among the surrounding crypt fronts bearing only names and dates.
While also not much in the way of expressing individuality, the Lakeside Niche Bank does offer the beauty of cascading water, quiet pools and wooden bridges as a backdrop to the sameness of the highly-polished niche fronts.
But enough of the cemetery's Achilles‘ heel in the community mausoleum department. There are hundreds of private family mausoleums, thousands of sculptures and stones, acres of inviting trees and other vegetation on the grounds which more than compensate for this failing.
Ah yes...speaking of trees, make certain not to miss the absolutely fascinating "Cypress Knees" which ring Cedar Lake in Section 21. This is one of the most incredible examples of the vision and foresight of Spring Grove's horticultural planners!
Enough then. There's simply too much to say about this heaven-on-earth for graveyard lovers. You'll just have to plan a visit for yourself. And please, take our word for it, Spring Grove is a rich enough reward to compensate for your travel should you have to traverse a considerable distance to reach her paradisiacal acres.
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4521 Spring Grove Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45232-1934
513.681.6680
Established: 1845
Acres: 733
Official Website
Bella Morte Rating: 5 Tombstones
Officially re-named Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum in 1987 in order to designate the grounds not only as a place for interment but also to recognize the vast array of native and exotic plants and trees it contains, Spring Grove is the largest private, non-profit cemetery in the States. Currently, only about only about 400 of the graveyard's 733 verdant acres have been developed. This ensures that the grounds will continue to be in active use for what the cemetery projects to be hundreds of years.
For the lover of cities of the silent, Spring Grove is the sort of place gothic dreams are made of. Visitors who roam the grounds will discover countless breathtaking mausoleums, monuments, and memorials as well as twelve ponds, miles of lush hills, beautiful trees and all manner of places ripe for haunting visions of ladies in black.
There is so much to see at Spring Grove that it is difficult indeed to single out favourites; however, we will share a word about two memorials we simply cannot bear to miss each time we visit this amazing graveyard...
The Dexter Mausoleum:
Located on a stunning lot overlooking Geyser Lake and Strauch Island, the Dexter Mausoleum resembles a Gothic cathedral. Designed by Cincinnati architect James Keyes Wilson over a four year period (1865-1869) the mausoleum was commissioned to resemble Sainte Chapelle in Paris. Though many mistakenly believe the structure to be one of the cemetery's chapels, it is, in fact, a private family crypt. This is the resting place of Mr. Dexter, a German immigrant and "whiskey baron," and his family. Often photographed, the Dexter Mausoleum was featured as a backdrop for the Cincinnati Ballet's 1999 season brochure. What better way to attract people to the season-opening "Spooky Tales" than to lure them in with photos of dancer Hawley Rowe, her lithe limbs and diaphanous gown highlighted against the haunting Dexter Mausoleum? Sadly, this amazing tomb was constructed of sandstone, a notoriously weak building material. Despite various attempts at restoration and preservation, the structure continues a relentless journey towards decay and stands under the threat of eventual demolition. This would be an enormous loss as the mausoleum is certainly one of Spring Grove's most astonishing landmarks.
A.E. Burkhardt Memorial:
The mourning woman is a common image in funerary art; however, it takes the skill of a truly gifted artist to capture the grieving female form with the grace exemplified in the bronze sculpture which adorns Spring Grove's Burkhardt memorial. Her veiled head bowed, she gently clasps a wreath in her left hand, a palm frond in her right, while her robes spill like water over the stone pedestal on which she kneels. Like the Dexter Mausoleum, the Burkhardt bronze is one of the cemetery's most frequently photographed memorials. Gothic models are irresistibly drawn to pose beside this, their silent sister, who waits quietly at the roadside, welcoming all who wish to join in her beautiful lament.
Of course, there are other stunning memorials too numerous to elaborate upon within the confines of this brief introduction to Spring Grove. Rest assured that one could easily spend days on the grounds and still not see all that is offered in this place of peace and respite.
For those of you who appreciate the atmosphere of community mausoleums, make sure to stop by the Memorial Mausoleum located just inside the main gates. While certainly not the most captivating community mausoleum we have explored, it is not without its points of interest. This facility is open to the public, unlike the buildings of the Lakeside Mausoleum Complex which are locked to all but family members and those accompanied by cemetery staff. Having been inside, we can attest to the fact that this is no great loss, however, as the Complex, like so many contemporary structures, suffers from the bane of uniformity save for a few sections containing glass-front niches where expressions of individuality are a welcome relief among the surrounding crypt fronts bearing only names and dates.
While also not much in the way of expressing individuality, the Lakeside Niche Bank does offer the beauty of cascading water, quiet pools and wooden bridges as a backdrop to the sameness of the highly-polished niche fronts.
But enough of the cemetery's Achilles‘ heel in the community mausoleum department. There are hundreds of private family mausoleums, thousands of sculptures and stones, acres of inviting trees and other vegetation on the grounds which more than compensate for this failing.
Ah yes...speaking of trees, make certain not to miss the absolutely fascinating "Cypress Knees" which ring Cedar Lake in Section 21. This is one of the most incredible examples of the vision and foresight of Spring Grove's horticultural planners!
Enough then. There's simply too much to say about this heaven-on-earth for graveyard lovers. You'll just have to plan a visit for yourself. And please, take our word for it, Spring Grove is a rich enough reward to compensate for your travel should you have to traverse a considerable distance to reach her paradisiacal acres.
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