Old Franklinton Cemetery
Columbus, Franklin Township,
Franklin County, Ohio

Gravestone Photographs

William T. Martin, in his 1858 History of Franklin County, states:

“On the bank of the river in the north vicinity of the town is the old Franklinton burying ground.  It embraces a beautiful little locust grove, enclosed with a board fence.  This, it was supposed, was to be the final resting place of the pioneers who led the way in the settlement of this once wilderness.  But of late years a number of removals have been made from thence to Green Lawn, amongst whom were the remains of Lucas Sullivant and wife, Lyne Starling, and General Foos and wife.  But still the Franklinton graveyard is a rather neat and handsome village cemetery, and is well calculated to call up a train of solemn and interesting reflections as any other spot of ground in the county.”

Today the beautiful park like area that comprises Old Franklinton Cemetery is nestled in the heart of an industrial area in the Franklinton neighborhood of Columbus and is surrounded by a more recent stone wall.  It is the probably the oldest cemetery in Franklin County as the first burial took place in 1799 when the village of Franklinton was only two years old.  It is situated on land that was donated by the Lucas Sullivant, founder of Franklinton.  One thing not mentioned by William Martin's 1858 history is that, according to the inscription on the monument which was erected in the center of the cemetery it is also the site of the first church in Franklinton.  The monument was erected in 1931 by the West Side Board of Trade in memory of the “Pioneers and Lucas Sullivant.” And in 1962 the Columbus sesquicentennial committee erected a Historical Marker near one entrance to the cemetery.

Headstones

(Click on the underlined name to view the tombstone photograph)

• Brown, “In memory of William Brown, who was born in An, trim Co., Ireland, A.D. 1774, and died Sept 27, 1830”

• Culbertson, Robert, 1738-1820, LT COL, US Army, Rev War

• Kemmerle, Charles, 1867-1878

• McElvain, Samuel, 1758-1806, ENSIGN, Cumberland Co, Militia, Rev War

• Noble, Seth, Apr 15, 1743-Sep 15 1807, Mass Millitia, Rev War

• Richards, Elizabeth L., daught. of Rimmon & Lucy, died Aug 4, 1842, Æ 6 yrs 2 m [rest broken or buried]

• Scott, Samuel, Jr., Mar 2, 1839-Dec 29, 1861, PVT 14 REGT, OHIO VOL INF

• Vance, Joseph, 1775-1824, CAPT, Franklin Dragoons, War of 1812

• Unknown
  • Looks like, “of Mrs. Armitage," and seems to give place of birth as well as dates, but can't read.
  • Broken and completely illegible
  • Broken and completely illegible
  • Broken and completely illegible
  • Broken and completely illegible
  • Only legible words are “. . .wife and mother”
  • Broken and completely illegible
  • Here lies u[broken], Margaret [broken], wife of, [broken]cob Kelley [broken], and daughter Lily [broken] of Robert & Elizaeth, Culbertson, [rest illegible]
  • Broken
  • Missing
  • To [broken] Isabella, wife of, [illegible], died Ma[illegible], aged [illegible] 10 m 24 d