Old Franklinton Cemetery Archaeology

Old Franklinton Cemetery Archaeology. Established 1799. , “Why lovely friend indulge that tear! , Why trembling view my dark abode; , Though you with me must moulder here, , Yet faith can wing the soul to God” , Rebecca (Culbertson) Smith , Born Sept. 28, 1798 , Died Feb. 7, 1828, It is this place that the founders of Franklinton, the first settlement in Columbus, found worthy to lay their loved ones for the rest of eternity., Geophysical Survey, Cemeteries contain many hidden clues about the past, written in headstones, architectural features, and long since forgotten burials, paths, and building foundations. Archaeologists use geophysical survey instruments, which can detect things below ground without digging, to uncover some of the forgotten past. Ohio Valley Archaeology, Inc. used three different survey instruments to search for the lost and forgotten at the Franklinton Cemetery: a ground penetrating radar, a magnetometer, and an electrical resistance meter. All three can detect disturbed soil, like that found in graves; the magnetometer is excellent for locating iron objects; and the radar is superb at finding buried foundations. The graves in the Franklinton Cemetery were not easy to detect, but the magnetometer likely found many that are unmarked today. The magnetometer also detected the original southern boundary of the cemetery, moved in the 1830’s. Most remarkable, however, are the buried remains of the original church foundation detected by radar. By 1812 the church was used to save grain. In 1813 the roof was blown off by a violent rain storm, the grain got wet and expanded, exploding the walls. The church was destroyed., The Columbus Foundation Exhibit developed with support from the Joseph A. Jeffrey Endowment Fund of the Columbus Foundation.