Cemeteries Worth the Visit - Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio

Cemetery of Spring Grove

Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio is the second largest cemetery in the United States.  It was originally known as the Cemetery of Spring Grove, and was founded in 1845 by the Cincinnati Horticultural Society as a not-for-profit cemetery.  The original 166 hilly acres were purchased for $16,000 and dedicated that August.  The first burial occurred on September 1, 1845.

Cincinnati Horticultural Society

Horticultural Society

The Cincinnati Horticultural Society used the cemetery grounds as an arboretum to study plants.  In 1850, over 4,300 ornamental plants had been planted throughout the grounds, and the nursery contained another 11,000 plants.

Albert Stauch

Then in 1855, Albert Stauch became superintendent of the cemetery.  During the next ten years he planted over 200 varieties of trees, choosing locations where "the beauty of form, color, and size shall be most effective."  His interest in using native plants and trees, along with his desire to create a natural landscape, led him to reroute roadways to follow the natural contours of the land. 

Stauch also placed lakes, bridges and islands throughout the cemetery grounds. The concept of a “Lawn Cemetery,” grassy expanses with native plants, trees, lakes and meandering paths was unique, but caught on quickly.  It wasn’t long before the majority of U.S. cemeteries adapted the concept of the “Lawn Cemetery”. 

By the 1860’s, the cemetery had the most diverse collection of trees in the country, except for New York’s Central Park. Today, Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum is home to over 1,200 species of trees, plants and shrubs.  Fifteen lakes, a cascading waterfall, and several footbridges still evoke Stauch’s original Lawn Cemetery design.

Norman Chapel

The Norman Chapel, located just inside the main gates, was designed in the Romanesque Revival, or Norman style.  Cincinnati architect Samuel Hannaford designed it in 1879.  It is constructed of limestone from Bedford, Indiana, “Limestone Capital of the World,” and guarded by various gargoyles.

Inside Chapel

The Ascension of Christ

Inside, the chapel offers a breath-taking venue with its carved wooden beams, arches and limestone pillars. Black Belgium marble paves the floor.  Bas-relief bronze doors are located on each side of the entrance to the sanctuary. The large stained glass widow was designed by Cincinnati resident Thomas S. Noble and features Christ’s Ascension into Heaven.

The chapel has also acted as a jail.  In the basement, a holding cell was created during the late 1800’s for carriage drivers traveling too fast through the cemetery.  Drivers were arrested, put in the jail cell and held overnight.  When automobiles were allowed in the cemetery in 1911, the jail cell was again put into use to deter speeding through the grounds.  The cell is now used for storage.

$10,000 Bill

Salmon Chase

Twenty-five Cincinnati majors are buried here, along with many well-known politicians, businessmen, authors and artists.  But interestingly enough there are no presidents buried at Spring Grove.  There are ten governors from Ohio, Kentucky and Arizona here.  The most famous governor was Salmon P. Chase. Chase served as Governor of Ohio from 1856 – 1860.  He also served as an Ohio Senator, Secretary of the Treasury under President Lincoln, and as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.  Chase’s picture appears on the $10,000 bill.  He was also instrumental in the development of Spring Grove.

Fleischman Mausoleum

McAlpin Monument

Businessmen buried here whose names are now household words include Bernard Kroger, founder of the Kroger Grocery stores. William Procter and James Gamble who created Proctor and Gamble Corporation, manufacturer of consumer goods. Charles Fleischman of Fleischman Yeast Company which became the worlds largest yeast producer and second largest producer of vinegar.  And George McAlpin of the McAlpin’s Department Stores.

Alexander McGuffy Marker

Andrew Erkenbrecher Monument

Other notables include Alexander McGuffy, who created the Electric Speller and co-wrote the McGuffy Readers, used in grade schools across the country.  And Andrew Erkenbrecher, founder of the Cincinnati Zoo, one of the oldest zoos in the country, opening in 1875.

Spring Grove is also the resting place of hundreds of soldiers, dating from the Revolutionary War to today. Eight Congressional Medal of Honor recipients are buried here.  There are thirty-three Revolutionary Soldiers interred here.  Forty Civil War soldiers of which thirty-four are Union Generals, including Major General Joseph Hooker.  Hooker led the Union attack at the Battle of Antietam, but then suffered a horrible defeat at the hands of Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863.

Cedar of Lebannon

In 1987, the cemetery name was changed from the Cemetery of Spring Grove to Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum to note the extensive collection of native and exotic plants that cover the grounds.  The cemetery is now comprised of 733 acres, of which on 400 acres are currently used and landscaped.  The remaining 333 acres will be developed as needed, guaranteeing the community a working cemetery for hundreds of years.  Over 44 miles of paved roadways wind through the present day cemetery.

Grave of Johnny Appleseed

Spring Grove was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2007. It is only one of five cemeteries in the country to hold this designation. This is in honor of its exceptional manner in illustrating the heritage and culture of the United States.  Spring Grove is the largest non-profit cemetery in the country.

Weddings are often held at Spring Grove.  The Norman Chapel can seat 200 and is available for ceremonies, as is the Garden Courtyard, which can seat up to 1,000.  The cemetery is also available for wedding photography.  Visit their web site for guidelines and rates.

Tram Tours

Walkabouts

Spring Grove offers several tours and events throughout the year. Public tours are offered from May through October.  Theses include public tram tours, weekend walkabouts and twilight tours. The cemetery also offers private group tours, and tours for school children.  Several special events are held throughout the year including the Annual Summer Sounds of Spring Grove Concert held in July, the Moonlight Tour held in August, and the Annual Lantern Lighting Ceremony held each September.  Self guided walking tours featuring art, architecture, and history can be conducted with the aid of maps available at the cemetery office.  Each year over 13,000 people attend these special events and tours.

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. Spring Grove welcomes genealogy research on their web site.

Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum is well worth the visit!  Plan on spending at least half a day if not the full day.  And if you can go when a tour or event is offered, all the better.  Whether you’re a photographer, artist, historian, Tombstone Tourist, gardener, or just love a park-like setting, Spring Grove has something for you!  So go – experience, and enjoy!!

~ Joy

White Bronze - A Monument of Quality

 

White Bronze

A White Bronze Stands Out

Cemetery wanderers throughout the U.S. and Canada can probably remember the first time they came across a white bronze monument.  The oddness of the marker draws you in, fascinates you, and makes you want to learn more.

Although not white, and not made of bronze, these memorials are usually very detailed, always different, and found in very good to excellent condition. 

For a Family Marker

Small White Bronze for Child

White bronze monuments are easy to spot once you start looking for their telltale bluish-grey color.  They come in many different sizes from small name ‘stones,’ to ornate 4-sided monuments, to statues. Even though they are constructed from metal, they are actually hollow! And interestingly enough, the same company manufactured every one of them.

Another Child Stone

Intricate Details

White bronze monuments were most popular during the 1880s to 1900, a time when many people considered granite and marble stones to be too expensive.  Zinc, which is the element that makes up 99% of a white bronze monument, offered a less expensive alternative for a custom designed and detailed grave ‘stone.’  But there were those who looked down on the white bronze marker as being a cheap imitation of a solid granite stone.  Some cemeteries even banned them, probably due to the urging of local granite and marble monument companies.

Bridgeport, CT Plant

Monumental Bronze Company

The technique for constructing these zinc monuments was developed in 1873 by M.A. Richardson of Chautauqua, New York.  Richardson, along with two business partners tried to get a company off the ground but failed.  In 1879, the rights were sold and a new company, the Monumental Bronze Company, was incorporated in Bridgeport, Connecticut. 

Invoice for Monument

Detroit Plant Mark

The original casting of the zinc monuments was done at the Bridgeport headquarters, while subsidiaries - the foundries and assembly plants, were located in Chicago, Des Moines, Detroit, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and St. Thomas, Canada. Each plant could place its name on the base of the monument to show where it had been assembled and shipped from.

Four sided Monument

Simple 2 sided Marker

To create a white bronze marker required several steps.  An artist would begin the process by carving similar designs used on traditional granite and marble headstones into wax forms.  Plaster would be poured into the wax forms and allowed to set, creating a plaster cast.  A second, identical plaster cast would then be made. This would be the cast that the sand molds were made from and cast in zinc.  The zinc castings were then assembled and fused together with molten zinc.  Once assembled and fused, the monuments were sandblasted to create a stone-like finish. And the final step, a secret lacquer would be applied to chemically oxidize the monument, creating the bluish-grey patina – hence the name white bronze. (Much more romantic sounding than zinc.)

Elaborate Monument with Statue

Marker with Name and Days

Monuments ranged in size from a few inches for name ‘stones’ to over 25 feet high with statues.

Fraternal Symbols Available

White Bronze Monument Catalog

Every white bronze marker was made to order. With over 500 monuments to choose from the possibilities were infinite. To begin, a base and monument shape would be chosen.  Then selected panels would be placed onto the monument with special screws. These panels included images of flowers, fraternal symbols, religious designs, and other Victorian motifs.

Catalog Drawing

Custom Epitaph

Panels with the person’s name could be created, or relationship panels saying ‘Mother,’ ‘Father,’ ‘Baby,’ were available.  Epitaphs or religious verses could also be put on a panel.

Ad for White Bronze Soldiers

Confederate Solider at Bardstown, KY

But white bronze markers were not just for individual or family graves.  Towns in over thirty states across the U.S. purchased white bronze Union or Confederate soldiers to place in their veteran’s cemeteries or local parks to honor their war dead.

Monument Creeping

Stress Fractures

Although white bronze monuments weathered well, they have one flaw known as ‘creep.’  This occurs when the weight of the top of the monument bears down onto the base and it begins to bow or bulge – very slowly, over the years.  The only way to rectify this is to place a stainless steel armature inside the base to help support the upper weight.

Catalog Drawing with Price

Sales Agent's Card

Unlike traditional gravestones and markers, there were not any stores where you could go to see or purchase a white bronze monument.  These zinc markers were sold only through company catalogs and in person by sales agents. If you wanted to see a white bronze marker, you would have to go to the cemetery. The sales agent would provide catalogs for the buyer to select the type of monument wanted, what designs were wanted on the panels, and names to be used. Prices ranged from $2 to $5,000.

Monuments without Panels

Custom Name Panel

White bronze monuments were made for only forty years, from 1874 to 1914. With the advent of World War One came their demise.  Zinc was needed for the war effort and the Monumental Bronze Company was taken over by the government to manufacture gun mounts and munitions.  Although the company did continue to exist until 1939, they never produced another monument.  Instead, they tried to maintain the industry by crafting panels for existing monuments.

Monument with Multiple Panels

Six Paneled Monument

The Monumental Bronze Company always claimed that the white bronze monuments were superior to granite and marble gravestones.  And after 100 years, this claim has proven true.   The outstanding quality and durability of the white bronze monument has indeed survived, and become even more popular, right into another century.

~  Joy