Downers Grove in DuPage County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Pierce and Lucy Downer Burial Ground

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 2, 2025

1. Pierce and Lucy Downer Burial Ground Marker

Inscription. Pierce Downer and his wife, Lucy, died a day apart in March of 1863 and were buried side by side in the grove on the hill at 4524 Linscott.

Erected 2014.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Settlements & Settlers • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is March 26, 1863.

Location. 41° 48.265′ N, 88° 0.951′ W. Marker is in Downers Grove, Illinois, in DuPage County. It is on Linscott Avenue 0.1 miles south of Grant Street, on the right when traveling south. The marker is next to the street where it intersects with the driveway up to the gravesite. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4524 Linscott Avenue, Downers Grove IL 60515, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago.

It is also in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Pierce Downer (within shouting distance of this marker); The Downer Burial Place (within shouting distance of this marker); Bicentennial Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Downer Family Well (approx. 0.3 miles away); Historic Brick Street Area (approx. 0.4 miles away); Downers Grove Historic Brick Streets (approx. 0.4 miles away); Prince Pond (approx. 0.4 miles away); Original Site of Grant E. Dicke Firehouse (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Downers Grove.

More about this marker. The burial site is in the middle of a suburban neighborhood. It can be reached via a paved driveway that is shared by the owner of the home immediately south.

The burial ground was donated to the Downers Grove Park District by Earl Downer, Pierce Downer's great-grandson, who died in 1972 and is the last person buried here. The Park District acquired the land between the graveyard and the street in 2014 from the developer building a new house on the neighboring lot.

Regarding Pierce and Lucy Downer Burial Ground. Pierce Downer was

Pierce and Lucy Downer Gravesite Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 2, 2025

2. Pierce and Lucy Downer Gravesite Marker

born in Vermont in 1782 and was 50 years old when he settled this area about 20 miles west of Lake Michigan. Lucy Downer joined him four years later, and they remained here until their deaths in March of 1863. Because St. Joseph Creek was flooded, the bodies could not be brought to Downers Grove's Main Street Cemetery, about a mile south of here, so they were buried here on Downer's land.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Where Is Pierce Downer Buried? historical marker in downtown Downers Grove

Also see . . .
1. Downers Grove Historical Society: Downer Burial Ground. (Submitted on May 2, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
2. Patch.com: Pierce Downer's Grave Site Gains New Ground (2014).

Excerpt: "The grave sites of Pierce Downer and his wife, Lucy Ann, have been nestled away in the rear portion of a small lot, not far from Pierce Downer School. Now, their final resting place reaches fully to the road, where a sign notes the historic burial site, securing the site from further development."

(Submitted on May 2, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Pierce Downer's Burial Place image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 2, 2025

3. Pierce Downer's Burial Place

Pierce Downer's home image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 2, 2025

4. Pierce Downer's home

The Downers' home, at 4437 Seeley Avenue, still stands today, about 500 yards west-northwest of the Downer family burial ground.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 14, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 2, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 161 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 2, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.