Haunted Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio

October is upon us…. a time for hauntings, Halloween - and all things spooky.  This month, A Grave Interest takes a look at several haunted cemeteries.  Get ready as we explore some ‘lively’ places, and the people who make them so…….

Spring Grove Cemetery

Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio is the second largest cemetery in the United States.  Founded in 1845 by the Cincinnati Horticultural Society, it is comprised of 733 acres, but currently only 400 acres are landscaped and in use. It was renamed Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum in 1987.

Rock Bridge in Cemetery

Bronze Sculpture

Many of the most notable figures from Cincinnati history are buried here, but some remain a bit restless in this scenic “garden of paradise.”

Norman Chapel

The Norman Chapel, located just inside the main gates, is rumored to be haunted.  Designed in the Romanesque Revival or Norman style by Cincinnati architect Samuel Hannaford, in 1879, the chapel is complete with gargoyle guards.

Norman Chapel @ Turn of Century

Jail Bars

Legend has it that cries can be heard coming from the chapel basement at night.  A holding cell was built in the basement during the late 1800’s to jail those who were traveling too fast through the cemetery.  Drivers were arrested, put in the jail cell, and held overnight.  It is rumored that some still remain….

Dexter Mausoleum

Edmund Dexter

The most eerie structure in the cemetery is the Dexter Mausoleum. It was built in 1869 as a private family mausoleum for whiskey baron, Edmund Dexter.  The mausoleum boasts the only two symmetrical flying buttresses in Cincinnati, and was constructed to resemble a Gothic Revival funerary monument.

Dexter Mausoleum

White Dog Statue in Cemetery

Some say that the mausoleum is guarded by two white dogs.  Legend has it that if you sit on the steps of the mausoleum, two white dogs will appear.  They may run past you, stop and quietly watch you, or stop and growl.

Optometrist's Tools

Breuer Monument

The strangest tale of the cemetery involves the grave marker of Charles C. Breuer.  Breuer was an optometrist by trade.  When he died in 1908, he supposedly requested that his eyes be removed, put in glass, and placed in the bronze bust likeness of himself, located on the side of the monument. 

Breuer's Brown Eyes

Breuer Bronze Bust

Other stories report that Breuer requested glass eyes to match his own and had them placed in the bronze bust that was mounted on his marker.  It was his way of “keeping an eye on things”, even after death.  Regardless, many people report feeling watched when they are near the Breuer marker and some say the head has moved…

Interesting Stone

There are other reports of mists and wispy things passing by in the cemetery.  When I was there on a rainy April day, I heard footsteps approaching behind me.  When I turned, expecting to see my husband, no one was there.  Only a slight breeze blew past quickly and then all was quiet again.

Mausoleum Door

Sinking Mausoleum

Spring Grove is located at 4521 Spring Grove Avenue in Cincinnati.  The cemetery grounds are open from 8 A.M. to 6 P.M. each day.  The phone number is (513) 681-7526.  Visit their web page at http://www.springgrove.org/ or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sgcemetery.

Next week we’ll visit one of the most haunted cemeteries in the United States.

~ Joy