Old Colony Burying Ground

Old Colony Burying Ground. , Granville's historic cemetery, the Old Colony Burying Ground, was laid out on the town plat by the Village's settlers before they left New England in 1805. The first burial was in 1806, and by the mid-19th century there had been more than 2000 interments. This cemetery, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is the final resting place of many of the community's settlers and their descendants. The yard also contains the graves of veterans of five wars, including as many as 22 veterans of the American Revolution and numerous veterans of the War of 18 12, Mexican War and Civil War. , Early markers in the yard were made of locally quarried sandstone, while many of the later ones are marble, shipped to Granville via the Granville Feeder from the Ohio and Erie Canal. , In 1886, Granville historian Charles Webster Bryant copied all the legible inscriptions of existing gravestones, recording 928 epitaphs. (Bryant's list may be viewed at http://www.granvillehistory.org/old-colony-b/). New burials had largely ceased after Maple Grove Cemetery was opened in the 1860s. The last burial was in 1935. , Even during the 19th century, the Burying Ground had begun to experience considerable deterioration. Periodic attempts were made to maintain the headstones and grounds, most notably in the early 20th century by the Granville Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Nevertheless, by the 1970s large portions of the yard were overgrown and many stones were broken and toppled. , In the summer of 1992, restoration of the Old Colony Burying Ground was initiated by civic leaders and the Granville Historical Society under the supervision of the Union Cemetery Board. The firm of Fannin-Lehner Preservation Consultants was hired to direct gravestone preservation and documentation working with local volunteers. Since the beginning of this project, hundreds of gravestones have been repaired or conserved. , The restoration of the Old Colony Burying Ground is an ongoing project that is widely supported by a community that appreciates and preserves its history. In addition to funding from the Village and Township, resources for the initiative have been generously provided by many charitable, commercial, and service organizations, along with thousands of volunteer hours from the citizens of the Granville community. , [photo caption] , Group photo seated , Restoration project founder Florence Hoffman is flanked by preservation consultants Jim and Minxie Fannin. Not pictured was the co-founder of the project, the late Carl Frazier.