Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum () is a nonprofit rural cemetery and

arboretum An arboretum (plural: arboreta) in a general sense is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, m ...

located at 4521 Spring Grove Avenue,

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state lin ...

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

. It is the third largest cemetery in the United States, after the

Calverton National Cemetery Calverton National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the Town of Riverhead (town), New York, Riverhead in Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on eastern Long Island in New York (state), New York. The cemetery's street addres ...

and Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery and is recognized as a US

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

History

The cemetery dates from 1844, when members of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society formed a cemetery association. They took their inspiration from contemporary rural cemeteries such as Père Lachaise Cemetery in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

, and Mount Auburn Cemetery in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge beca ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. The numerous springs and groves suggested the name "Spring Grove". On December 1, 1844,

Salmon P. Chase Salmon Portland Chase (January 13, 1808May 7, 1873) was an American politician and jurist who served as the sixth chief justice of the United States. He also served as the 23rd governor of Ohio, represented Ohio in the United States Senate, a ...

and others prepared the Articles of Incorporation. The cemetery was designed by Howard Daniels and formally chartered on January 21, 1845. The first burial took place on September 1, 1845. In 1855,

Adolph Strauch Adolph Strauch (b. August 30, 1822 – 1883) was a renowned landscape architect born in Silesia, Prussia, known particularly for his layout designs of cemeteries like Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio, Forest Lawn in Buffalo, NY and Oa ...

, a renowned

landscape architect A landscape architect is a person who is educated in the field of landscape architecture. The practice of landscape architecture includes: site analysis, site inventory, site planning, land planning, planting design, grading, storm water manageme ...

, was hired to beautify the grounds. His sense and layout of the "garden cemetery" made of lakes, trees and shrubs, is what visitors today still see. He created a more open landscape by setting limits on private enclosures and monument heights. The results of the redesign earned Strauch praise in the U.S. and abroad, including from

Frederick Law Olmsted Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the USA. Olmsted was famous for co-d ...

and the French landscape architect Edouard André. On March 29, 2007, the cemetery was designated a

. The

Spring Grove Cemetery Chapel Spring Grove Cemetery Chapel is a registered historic building at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio, listed in the National Register on March 3, 1980. It was designed by Samuel Hannaford and Sons. References External linksDocument ...

is listed separately on the National Register of Historic Places. On October 23, 2013, cemetery staff removed a large and potentially disturbing ''

SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American Animated series, animated Television comedy, comedy Television show, television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It ...

'' headstone from the grave of U.S. Army Corporal Kimberly Walker and another for her still-living sister a day after her funeral. The family believed they had permission from a worker, whom management said had erred. In February 2014, both parties agreed to reinstate the statues with granite slabs largely hiding them from passersby.

Description

Spring Grove encompasses of which are currently landscaped and maintained. Its grounds include 12 ponds, many fine tombstones and memorials, and various examples of

Gothic Revival architecture Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

. As of 2005, its National Champion trees were '' Cladrastis kentukea'' and ''

Halesia ''Halesia'', also known as silverbell or snowdrop tree, is a small genus of four or five species of deciduous large shrubs or small trees in the family Styracaceae. Range They are native to eastern Asia (southeast China) and eastern North Am ...

diptera''; its State Champion trees included ''

Abies Firs (''Abies'') are a genus of 48–56 species of evergreen coniferous trees in the family Pinaceae. They are found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The genus is most closely related to ...

cilicica'', ''

koreana'', ''

Cedrus ''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, is a genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae (subfamily Abietoideae). They are native to the mountains of the western Himalayas and the Mediterranean region, occurring at altitudes of 1,500� ...

libani'', ''

Chionanthus ''Chionanthus'' , common name: fringetrees, is a genus of about 150 species of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae. The genus has a wide distribution primarily in the tropics and subtropics, but with three species extending north into te ...

virginicus'', ''

Eucommia ''Eucommia'' is a genus of small trees now native to China, with a fossil record that shows a much wider distribution. The single living species, '' Eucommia ulmoides'', is near threatened in the wild, but is widely cultivated in China for ...

ulmoides'', ''

parvifolia'', ''

Metasequoia ''Metasequoia'', or dawn redwoods, is a genus of fast-growing deciduous trees, one of three species of conifers known as redwoods. The living species ''Metasequoia glyptostroboides'' is native to Lichuan county in Hubei province, China. Altho ...

glyptostroboides'', ''

Phellodendron ''Phellodendron'', or cork-tree, is a genus of deciduous, dioecious trees in the family Rutaceae, native to east and northeast Asia. It has leathery, pinnate leaves and yellow, clumped flowers. The name refers to the thick and corky bark of som ...

amurense'', ''

Picea A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' (), a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of the Earth. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the subfam ...

orientalis'', ''

polita'', ''

Pinus A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden a ...

flexilis'', ''

griffithi'', ''

monticola'', ''

Quercus An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ' ...

cerris'', ''

nigra'', ''

Taxodium ''Taxodium'' is a genus of one to three species (depending on taxonomic opinion) of extremely flood-tolerant conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. The generic name is derived from the Latin word ''taxus'', meaning "yew", and the Greek ...

distichum'', '' Ulmus serotina'', and ''

Zelkova ''Zelkova'' (from Georgian ''dzelkva'', 'stone pillar') is a genus of six species of deciduous trees in the elm family Ulmaceae, native to southern Europe, and southwest and eastern Asia. They vary in size from shrubs (''Z. sicula'') to large ...

serrata''.

Notable burials

''See also :Burials at Spring Grove Cemetery.'' Cincinnati - Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum - Weeping Angel statue

Jacob Ammen Jacob Ammen (January 7, 1806 – February 6, 1894) was a college professor, civil engineer, and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. His younger brother, Daniel Ammen, was an admiral in the United States Navy. Early lif ...

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...

general * Nicholas Longworth Anderson, Civil War colonel * Joshua Hall Bates, Civil War general *

Richard M. Bishop Richard Bishop (November 4, 1812 – March 2, 1893), also known as Richard M. Bishop and Papa Richard, was an American politician from the U.S. state of Ohio. Bishop served as the 34th governor of Ohio. Biography Richard Moore Bishop was born i ...

, Cincinnati Mayor and Ohio Governor * George K. Brady,

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

officer. Briefly commander of the Department of Alaska * Emma Lucy Braun, botanist *

Charles Elwood Brown Charles Elwood Brown (July 4, 1834 – May 22, 1904) was a U.S. Representative from Ohio. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Brown attended the common schools and Greenfield Academy, He was graduated from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, in 1854. H ...

, Civil War

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed t ...

and U.S. Representative *

Sidney Burbank Sidney Burbank (October 1807 – December 7, 1882) served as an officer in the regular army before and during the American Civil War. For a time he led a brigade in the Army of the Potomac. Pre-war service Burbank was born in Lexington, Mass ...

, Civil War colonel * Jacob Burnet, US Senator * Samuel Fenton Cary,

Congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivale ...

, prohibitionist * Kate Chase, daughter of Salmon Chase and Washington, D.C. Civil War socialite *

, Chief Justice of the United States * Henry M. Cist, Civil War brevet brigadier general * Levi Coffin,

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

Arthur F. Devereux Arthur Forrester Devereux (April 27, 1838 – February 13, 1906) was a captain in the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia prior to the Civil War and a colonel in the Union Army during the Civil War. He is notable for his expertise and proficien ...

Brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

Brigadier General during the Civil War; from

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...

Daniel Drake Daniel Drake (October 20, 1785 – November 5, 1852) was a pioneering American physician and prolific writer. Early life Drake was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, to Isaac Drake and Elizabeth Shotwell. He was the elder brother of Benjamin ...

, physician and writer * Charles L. Fleischmann,

yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to consti ...

manufacturer *

Joseph Benson Foraker Joseph Benson Foraker (July 5, 1846 – May 10, 1917) was an American politician of the Republican Party who served as the 37th governor of Ohio from 1886 to 1890 and as a United States senator from Ohio from 1897 until 1909. Foraker was ...

Governor of Ohio A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

, Judge,

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

Captain * Manning Force, Civil War Brevet Brigadier General,

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor ...

recipient

Swan by Geyser Lake shore at Spring Grove Cemetery

* James Gamble, co-founder of

Procter & Gamble Company The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer ...

* Kenner Garrard, Civil War general *

Heinie Groh Henry Knight "Heinie" Groh (September 18, 1889 – August 22, 1968) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from 1912 to 1927, spending nearly his entire career with the Cinc ...

Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is an entity established by Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds franchise that pays homage to the team's past through displays, photographs and multimedia. It was instituted in 1958 to recognize the ...

third baseman *

Theodore Sommers Henderson Theodore Sommers Henderson (May 14, 1868 – February 11, 1929) was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, elected in 1912. Born in Millburn, New Jersey, he joined the New York East Annual Conference of the M.E. Church in 189 ...

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

of the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

* Andrew Hickenlooper, Civil War general *

Joseph Hooker Joseph Hooker (November 13, 1814 – October 31, 1879) was an American Civil War general for the Union, chiefly remembered for his decisive defeat by Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. Hooker had serv ...

, Civil War general and commander of the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confede ...

at the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

* Waite Hoyt, professional baseball player; Hall of Fame pitcher * Miller Huggins, Hall of Fame baseball manager of

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one o ...

during

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

era *

Isaac M. Jordan Isaac M. Jordan (born Isaac Alfred Jordan; May 5, 1835 – December 3, 1890) was a United States Congressman who was born in Mifflinburg, Union County, Pennsylvania."The Seven Founders" page 35. The Norman Shield, 41st Edition He served one term ...

, one of the seven founders of Sigma Chi Fraternity *

John William Kilbreth John William Kilbreth (February 18, 1876 – July 24, 1958) was an American Brigadier general (United States), brigadier general who served during World War I. He received the Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army), Army Distinguished Service Med ...

, U.S. Army brigadier general during World War I * Bernard Kroger, founder of

Kroger The Kroger Company, or simply Kroger, is an American retail company that operates (either directly or through its subsidiaries) supermarkets and multi-department stores throughout the United States. Founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cinci ...

supermarkets *

Alexander Long Alexander Long (December 24, 1816 – November 28, 1886) was a Democratic United States Congressman who served in Congress from March 4, 1863, to March 3, 1865. During the Civil War, Long was a prominent "Copperhead", a member of the peace move ...

* Nicholas Longworth, Father of American grape culture * Joseph Longworth, art collector and patron, son of Nicholas Longworth * Nicholas Longworth, American politician, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, grandson of Nicholas Longworth * William Haines Lytle, 19th century Ohio, general, politician, poet * Joseph Mason, artist, who was an uncredited assistant to

John James Audubon John James Audubon (born Jean-Jacques Rabin; April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was an American self-trained artist, naturalist, and ornithologist. His combined interests in art and ornithology turned into a plan to make a complete pictoria ...

in illustrating the Birds of America *

Stanley Matthews Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE (1 February 1915 – 23 February 2000) was an English footballer who played as an outside right. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the British game, he is the only player to have been knighted while st ...

Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is any member of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the Judiciary Act of ...

Alexander McDowell McCook Alexander McDowell McCook (April 22, 1831June 12, 1903) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. Early life McCook was born in Columbiana County, Ohio. A Scottish family, the McCooks were prominent ...

Union army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

general * Charles Pettit McIlvaine, Episcopal bishop, author, educator and twice Chaplain of the United States Senate * John McLean,

George Hunt Pendleton George Hunt Pendleton (July 19, 1825November 24, 1889) was an American politician and lawyer. He represented Ohio in both houses of United States Congress, Congress and was the unsuccessful History of the United States Democratic Party, Democratic ...

, Congressman and US

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...

Sarah Morgan Bryan Piatt Sarah Morgan Bryan Piatt (Sallie M. Bryan; August 11, 1836 – December 22, 1919) was an American poet. Her career began in the mid-1850s and lasted into the early twentieth century. She published hundreds of poems in nationally circulated newsp ...

, poet * William Procter, co-founder of Procter and Gamble *

Skip Prosser George Edward "Skip" Prosser (November 3, 1950 – July 26, 2007) was an American college basketball coach who was head men's basketball coach at Wake Forest University at the time of his death. He was the only coach in NCAA history to take three ...

Wake Forest University Wake Forest University is a private university, private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, North Carolina, Wake Forest, north of Rale ...

men's

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

head coach at the time of his death, former assistant and head men's basketball coach at

Xavier University Xavier University ( ) is a private Jesuit university in Cincinnati and Evanston (Cincinnati), Ohio. It is the sixth-oldest Catholic and fourth-oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Xavier has an undergraduate enrollment of 4,860 stud ...

* Henry Stanbery,

Attorney General of the United States The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

, landscape architect, designer of Spring Grove Cemetery * Dudley Sutphin, Cincinnati attorney, judge and French Legion of Honor medal winner * Alphonso Taft, politician, father of

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

* Charles Phelps Taft II, Mayor of Cincinnati and son of President William Howard Taft * Louise Taft, second wife of Alphonso Taft and mother of William Howard Taft *

John Morgan Walden John Morgan Walden (February 11, 1831 – January 21, 1914) was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He also gained notability as a newspaper editor and journalist, as a State Superintendent of Education in Kansas, as an officer i ...

of the

* Godfrey Weitzel, Civil War general * Frances Wright, pioneering feminist, abolitionist, and freethinker

Notes

External links

Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum

Spring Grove Entrance

{{coord, 39.164559, N, 84.522672, W, source:dewiki_region:US_type:landmark, format=dms, display=title Arboreta in Ohio Cemeteries in Cincinnati Botanical gardens in Ohio National Register of Historic Places in Cincinnati National Historic Landmarks in Ohio Protected areas of Hamilton County, Ohio Tourist attractions in Cincinnati Gothic Revival architecture in Ohio Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio Rural cemeteries