© 2001-2017 David K. & Leona L. Gustafson


State Old Insane & Penal Cemetery
Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio

Old State Asylum & Penal Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio

Gravestone Photographs

This is the first of three cemeteries still extant for old State Asylum, later called the Columbus State Hospital. This cemetery also includes some graves of inmates who died at the old Ohio Penitentiary and is, therefore, called the Old Asylum and Penal Cemetery. It was also used for the interment of a few unknown indigents. There are two additional asylum cemeteries in close proximity. There are aproximately three hundred elven (311) known graves. It is located near the intersection of McKinnley Avenue and Harper Road. Most of the year it can be seen from the right-hand lane of I-70 eastbound. A Dedication Stone was installed by the state in 2008.

Aerial Photo of Cemetery,
Spring 2004

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Gravestones:

(Click on the underlined name to download the gravestone photograph)

The prisoner gravestone photos were taken starting in the southeast corner of the cemetery across to the southwest corner (row 1); all rows were photographed east to west. There seems to be seven rows of prisoner graves. Right now only four rows appear here.  On most stones is the name, the letter "c" or "w" (indicating race?), and the years of birth and death.  There are aproximately 311 graves in this cemetery.

  • Row 4:
  • Row 7:
    • Kelly, Frank, w 1893-1948
    • Guyton, William, c 1892-1948
    • Carter, Simmie, c 1897-1949
    • Thomas, John, c 1913-1949
    • Payton, Howard, c 1918-1949
    • Rousey, Ola C, 1897-1949
    • Johnson, Elder, July 10, 1892-Sept 8, 1945
    • Stewart, C. C, 1915-1945

  • Row 8:
    • Mitchell, Wm., no dates
    • Sevatis, Wm. J, no dates
    • Coleman, Joseph, no dates
    • Two stones missing.
    • Curl, Joseph, no dates
    • Unreadable, C . . .
    • Broken & unreadable
    • Broken, May 28, 1945
    • Wion, Harley, no dates [died 16 Sep 1941]
    • Broken & unreadable
    • Brown, Rufus C(?), no dates
    • Kovak, John, Jan 14, 1888-Sept 26, 1888(?)
    • Williams, Walter, Jan 19, 1900-Nov 14, 1938, age 38
    • ????ng, Andrew, ??? ??, 1932
    • Tracy, Frank, May 15, 1906-??? ??, 1939(?)
    • Ellis, James, Aug 20, 1898-July 3, 1939, age 40
    • Hardy, John A, Jan 6 (or 8), 1877-??? ??, 1945, age unreadable
    • Frye, Henry, 1864-1939(?)
    • Young, Pang, Dec 28, 1820-Dec 1, 1900(?)
    • Williams, Wm. R, Nov 21, [18]40, no further information.
    • Unknown
  • Row 9:
    • Borchers, Ed H, 9-2-1902 - 7-2-1938, age 36
    • Williams, Thomas, died (undreadable)
    • Unknown
    • Jones, Everett, 1905-1938, age 33
    • A---n, James, died ??? 7, 1935 age 70 (or 10) [Seems to have been used for target practice.]
    • Unreadable
    • Rogers, Frank(?), 7-3-1867 - 7-17-1937 [Ice tongs & Star of David among decorations on stone.]
    • Butcher, Samuel, 4-19-1898 - 2- 1?-1937
    • Miller, Frank, 4-4-1897 - 1-30-1937
    • Unknown
    • Eberle, Donald, died 6-23-36, age 31
    • Ellis, Mason, 4-20-1917 - 3-2-1939(?)
    • Bowsher, Harold, died 5-24-33, age 27
    • Unknown
    • Broken, died 4-12-3?, age 60
  • Row 10:
    • Unreadable
    • Unknown
    • Neff, Lester, died 2-11-35, age 32
    • The remaining eleven (11) graves in this row are all marked "Unknown."
  • Rows 11, 12, 13 & 14 all marked "Unknown."
Circle of graves (seem to be asylum graves)
Counter clockwise around the circle beginning at tree on southeast side of cemetery:
  • 1.  Whipple, Jeremiah, May 15, 1845, age 24
  • 2.  Leathers, Frederick, Apr. 13, 1852, age 72
  • 3.  Glick, (?), May 29, 1857, age 19
  • 4.  Hunter, John T, July 21, 1851, age 50
  • 5.  Unknown, #c001, no date
  • 6.  Unknown, #c002, no date
  • 7.  McDole, Margaret, Feb. 1868
  • 8.  Missing stone; recently removed
  • 9.  Murray, Mary, Nov. 1868
  • 10. Love, Harriet, Nov. 1868
  • 11. Hertzler, Daniel, Oct. 1867
  • 12. Williams, George, Aug. 1866
  • 13. Rinker, Edward, Dec. 1866
  • 14. Parkhill, Elizabeth, Jan. 1858
  • 15. Richards, Timothy, Mar. 1866
  • 16. Fling, Lucretia A, Dec. 1866
  • 17. Leeper, Rev. William, May 4, 1860, age 54
  • 18. Conner, Carolyn, Nov. 1868
  • 19. Unknown, #c003
  • 20. Williams, Sarah A, June 23, 1852, age 38
  • 21. Dodds, Ma, Feb. 1868
  • 22. Unknown, #c004, no date
  • 23. Hivick, George, Feb. 8, 1856, age 36
  • 24. Bennett, Mary, May 5, 1848, age 24
  • 25. Uppman, Mary, Sept. 11, 1862
  • 26. Unknown, #005, no date
  • 27. French, Samuel, Mar. 1867
  • 28. Unknown, #006, no date
  • 29. Todd, William, Sept. 1868
  • 30. Martin, Henry, Jan. 1867
  • 31. Lusk, Soloman, Aug. 9, 1848, age 29
  • 32. Cooper, John, Aug. 28, 1849, age 32
  • 33. Merritt, A. C., June 13, 1849, age 42
  • 34. Palmer, Soloman, Feb. 1852
  • 35. Tidd, Emily A, Dec. 1867
  • 36. Kenedy, Elizabeth, Sept. 17, 1844, age 31
  • 37. Unknown, #007

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