GREEN LAWN CEMETERY
1000 Greenlawn Avenue
Columbus, OH 43223
614.444.1005
Estalbished: 1848
Acres: 360
Official Website
Bella Morte Rating: 3 Tombstones
Our first visit to Green Lawn happened to occur on a warm, grey, drizzly day. The darkened skies, along with the rather forlorn look of the cemetery's older sections and the haunting music we had playing, all converged to make the day utterly...gothic! What a perfect day for our explorations.
As far as the grounds are concerned, the older sections of the cemetery are lovely. Although a number of monuments have been damaged by time (and some by unfortunate acts of vandalism), the overall impression is certainly not one of destruction or disrepair. It's more a sense of the passage of time...a kind of "natural decay" to which many of the older monuments have fallen prey.
The cemetery's newer sections contain numerous laser-etched stones depicting pastoral scenes and heavenly vistas, many of them in full colour. It is interesting to reflect on a time, some decades from now, in which these stones will no longer be examples of the latest development in memorialization but will instead represent a time in history as distant to those who stand and observe them as the Civil War stones elsewhere on the grounds are to us today.
One of the more unique features of the cemetery is the brackish pond towards the center of the property. Like a sudden chilly breeze on a summer night, the green water, punctuated by numerous twisted branches rising from its hidden depths, brings a welcome feeling that Halloween is not so far off--even if you happen to visit in the middle of August! According to a plaque contributed by the Columbus Audubon Society:
The pond or 'pit,' to which it is sometimes referred, was a quarry which was in use from the late 1800's to the 1920's.
Stones from this quarry were used to lay the base of the cemetery roads. The water is from the underground aquifer.
This area is being kept in its natural state for the use and preservation of wildlife."
Green Lawn contains a number of personal family mausoleums, the most impressive of which is the Hayden Mausoleum, commissioned by banker Charles H. Hayden in 1904 and designed by noted architect Frank Packard. The enormous stone structure is impressive to behold. In addition, it's rumoured to be haunted. Visitors who knock on the massive doors are often said to hear a knock in response...a ghostly greeting from one of the tomb's non-corporeal residents? Although other tales of hauntings are attached to the Hayden Mausoleum, the ghostly rappings are the most often repeated...and reported. A staple on many ghost tours in the area, the Hayden Mausoleum is not to be missed...even if you don't believe in spooks.
Very near the Hayden Mausoleum is Green Lawn's Chapel Mausoleum. Like the Hayden tomb, the Chapel Mausoleum was designed by Frank Packard. Dedicated in 1902, the Chapel Mausoleum features two stained glass windows and two lovely mosaics representing Wisdom and Truth. All were commissioned by P.W. Huntington, the founder of Huntington Bank, and designed by Tiffany's of New York. A visit to Green Lawn would seem incomplete without a stop at the Chapel Mausoleum.
In many Garden Cemeteries, a monument to a child, sculpted with great care and craftsmanship to portray the deceased, becomes a place of pilgrimage. Such is the case with the tomb of George A. Blount at Green Lawn. Young George, who died at age 6, is portrayed sitting on a blanket atop his gravestone, his cap resting in his lap. He is the recipient of numerous gifts and trinkets left by many who have been touched by the loss of a life at such a tender age. (See the story of Johnny Morehouse at Woodland Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio).
Before making a visit to Green Lawn, you may wish to explore their website a bit. It is certainly one of the better cemetery websites we've come across. It includes sections on history, art and architecture, tours and events, as well as interactive maps with clickable icons linked to photos and text describing various points of interest on the grounds.
Alas, we would be remiss if, before parting, we failed to mention one of Green Lawn's nearest neighbours, Green Lawn Abbey (see separate gallery and review). Interestingly, there is no affiliation between Green Lawn Cemetery and the Green Lawn Abbey. It is theorized that Green Lawn Abbey, originally named Woodlawn Mausoleum when it was built in 1927, later had its name changed in the hope of capitalizing on the cemetery's reputation.
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1000 Greenlawn Avenue
Columbus, OH 43223
614.444.1005
Estalbished: 1848
Acres: 360
Official Website
Bella Morte Rating: 3 Tombstones
Our first visit to Green Lawn happened to occur on a warm, grey, drizzly day. The darkened skies, along with the rather forlorn look of the cemetery's older sections and the haunting music we had playing, all converged to make the day utterly...gothic! What a perfect day for our explorations.
As far as the grounds are concerned, the older sections of the cemetery are lovely. Although a number of monuments have been damaged by time (and some by unfortunate acts of vandalism), the overall impression is certainly not one of destruction or disrepair. It's more a sense of the passage of time...a kind of "natural decay" to which many of the older monuments have fallen prey.
The cemetery's newer sections contain numerous laser-etched stones depicting pastoral scenes and heavenly vistas, many of them in full colour. It is interesting to reflect on a time, some decades from now, in which these stones will no longer be examples of the latest development in memorialization but will instead represent a time in history as distant to those who stand and observe them as the Civil War stones elsewhere on the grounds are to us today.
One of the more unique features of the cemetery is the brackish pond towards the center of the property. Like a sudden chilly breeze on a summer night, the green water, punctuated by numerous twisted branches rising from its hidden depths, brings a welcome feeling that Halloween is not so far off--even if you happen to visit in the middle of August! According to a plaque contributed by the Columbus Audubon Society:
The pond or 'pit,' to which it is sometimes referred, was a quarry which was in use from the late 1800's to the 1920's.
Stones from this quarry were used to lay the base of the cemetery roads. The water is from the underground aquifer.
This area is being kept in its natural state for the use and preservation of wildlife."
Green Lawn contains a number of personal family mausoleums, the most impressive of which is the Hayden Mausoleum, commissioned by banker Charles H. Hayden in 1904 and designed by noted architect Frank Packard. The enormous stone structure is impressive to behold. In addition, it's rumoured to be haunted. Visitors who knock on the massive doors are often said to hear a knock in response...a ghostly greeting from one of the tomb's non-corporeal residents? Although other tales of hauntings are attached to the Hayden Mausoleum, the ghostly rappings are the most often repeated...and reported. A staple on many ghost tours in the area, the Hayden Mausoleum is not to be missed...even if you don't believe in spooks.
Very near the Hayden Mausoleum is Green Lawn's Chapel Mausoleum. Like the Hayden tomb, the Chapel Mausoleum was designed by Frank Packard. Dedicated in 1902, the Chapel Mausoleum features two stained glass windows and two lovely mosaics representing Wisdom and Truth. All were commissioned by P.W. Huntington, the founder of Huntington Bank, and designed by Tiffany's of New York. A visit to Green Lawn would seem incomplete without a stop at the Chapel Mausoleum.
In many Garden Cemeteries, a monument to a child, sculpted with great care and craftsmanship to portray the deceased, becomes a place of pilgrimage. Such is the case with the tomb of George A. Blount at Green Lawn. Young George, who died at age 6, is portrayed sitting on a blanket atop his gravestone, his cap resting in his lap. He is the recipient of numerous gifts and trinkets left by many who have been touched by the loss of a life at such a tender age. (See the story of Johnny Morehouse at Woodland Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio).
Before making a visit to Green Lawn, you may wish to explore their website a bit. It is certainly one of the better cemetery websites we've come across. It includes sections on history, art and architecture, tours and events, as well as interactive maps with clickable icons linked to photos and text describing various points of interest on the grounds.
Alas, we would be remiss if, before parting, we failed to mention one of Green Lawn's nearest neighbours, Green Lawn Abbey (see separate gallery and review). Interestingly, there is no affiliation between Green Lawn Cemetery and the Green Lawn Abbey. It is theorized that Green Lawn Abbey, originally named Woodlawn Mausoleum when it was built in 1927, later had its name changed in the hope of capitalizing on the cemetery's reputation.
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