Grandview Cemetery, Chillicothe Ohio

Grandview Cemetery contains the graves of four important Ohio governors, a famous Civil War General, and pioneer founders of Ohio.
Its monuments are of superior workmanship and detailing in the Gothic Revival, Greek Revival, Romanesque, and early twentieth century classical revival influences.
Among those buried there are: General Nathaniel Massie (1763-1813), pioneer from Virginia, surveyor, and Revolutionary soldier, founder of Chillicothe; Thomas Worthington (1773-1827) pioneer from Virginia, U.S. Senator from Ohio 1802-1808, 6th governor of Ohio, builder of Adena, the famous plantation and historic attraction in Chillicothe, close friend of Thomas Jefferson and Tecumseh, Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, father of the Ohio Erie Canal; Dr. Edward Tiffin (1766-1829) pioneer from Virginia, first governor of Ohio, U.S. Senator, General of the West, speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives; General Duncan McArthur (1772-1839) early pioneer, general in the War of 1812, 10th governor of Ohio, U.S. Congressman; Felix Renick (1771-1848) who began the cattle industry in the West, originating in Ross County with the first importation of short-horn cattle, builder of "Paint Hill" with his brother, George; William Creighton, Jr. (1778-1851) pioneer from Virginia, Ohio's first Secretary of State, designer of the Great Seal of Ohio, which was taken from the view from Worthington's Adena; Colonel James Strode Swearington (1782-1864) founder of Ft. Dearborn, Illinois, later the City of Chicago; William Allen (1803-1874) U.S. Senator from Ohio, 31st governor of Ohio, "54-40 or Fight"; Dr. Edwin H. Davis (1811-1888) co-author of famed Squier & Davis Archaeological Surveys, authority on early mound builders and gathered the largest collection of mound relics ever assembled in America; General Joshua W. Sill (1834-1862) Civil War hero, killed at the battle of Stone River, Tennessee, Ft. Sill, Oklahoma named after him by Gen. Phil Sheridan, youngest Brigadier General in the U.S. Army; William A. "Billy" Ireland (1880-1935) beloved cartoonist for the Columbus Dispatch for 37 years with his humorous "Passing Show"; Dard Hunter (1883-1966) renowned authority and scholar on the manufacture of paper, his paper museum was originally founded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The original section of the cemetery is what is now called the Renick Enclosure, surrounded by a stone wall. Some of the graves listed above are shown on the map below.
Cemetery Description
Grandview Cemetery is located on roughly 90 acres of rolling hilltop southwest of Chillicothe, Ohio. On the grounds are the Civil War Union Veterans monument and a speaker's shelter. There are a variety of mausoleums and crypts showing superior workmanship and detailing of Gothic Revival, Greek Revival, Romanesque and early twentieth classical revival influences.
The first land for a cemetery was purchased on May 31st, 1845, at a public sale of the estates of one, John McCoy, and Nathaniel Massie to satisfy debts against their estates. The full acreage was purchased by the 1890's.
In the earliest deeds, rules were set forth regarding the character of the cemetery. For example, no structure can be erected to mar the general beauty of the grounds, no wall or enclosure could be built over four and one-half feet in height, and if any effigy or monument were erected which is deemed improper or in poor taste, the company reserved the right to remove it. As a result of the foregoing restrictions, Grandview Cemetery is one of the loveliest and historic Cemeteries in the country today.
Several vaults have been erected in the classical style. The Receiving Vault in Section: 9C was originally used to receive bodies before burial. They were held in this cut-stone Gothic Vault until Manpower could be mustered to dig a grave, or until a thaw, or perhaps until the family could arrive from out-of-town. Today the vault remains the same, however, it is used for storage.
Grandview Cemetery today overlooks the Scioto River Valley with such majestic vistas and landscaping, that the viewer is overwhelmed by a great feeling of peace and dignity. The Paint Creek Valley is to the south and the City of Chillicothe is to the east and north. To the west are the beautiful grounds of the handsome Georgian Revival Presbyterian Church, and federal manse, "Paint Hill".
Some of the more interesting gravesites include:
1. Marfield-Fullerton-Ferguson Mausoleum; Ashlar wall treatment with stone water table, stone pediment, plain stone cornice, two recessed Doric columns at the entrance.
2. James Mausoleum: cut stone wall treatment, full plain pediment, stone boxed cornice, four Ionic columns holding up cornice, three stone stairs surrounding the mausoleum as a base and serving as a water table, same on both ends, at the exterior is a stained glass window under columns.
3. Renick Enclosure; the oldest part of the cemetery, the enclosure is surrounded by a cut stone wall, enclosed therein are the earliest settlers of Chillicothe.
4. Gothic Crypt: cut stone wall treatment, cross-gable a top arch, buttressed supports flanking front, gothic arched door with carved stone molding.
5. Crypt with Ionic Columns: cut stone wall treatment cornice with dental molding, the entrance has extended stone entablature over two Ionic columns, the entrance is round-arched with stone banding, with what appears to be a keystone seal over the entrance.
6. Worthington Monument: consists of stone obelisk with a carved recessed portrait silhouette of Thomas Worthington on one side set on stone base with the name Worthington cut thereon.
7. Sill Monument: Fluted shaft with a battle flag draped atop with a laurel wreath carved on the side, the base is square cut with a medallion on face, cut stone base.
8. Civil War Veterans Monument: atop is statue of a Union Soldier, stone shaft is topped with bronze stars midway down shaft are bronze crossed battle flags, base of shaft is bronze battle scene, mounted on cut stone base.
9. Fullerton Plot: consists of about ten various tombstones. These stones are monumental in size. Some have urns and ascanthts leaves. Stones have embossed as well as inset inscriptions.
10. Houk Hillside Mausoleum: Rusticated cut stone construction. Top is painted or stained black, carved entablature over three pictures set in stone, recessed door, mausoleum built into hillside.
11. Receiving Vault: Rusticated stone construction with cut stone base serving as a water table round arch entrance with rusticated stone pilasters supporting rounded arch entrance, roof line has plain cornice, medium gable roof.

Map (1978)

Marfield-Fullerton-Ferguson Mausoleum - One of many Greek Revival Mausoleums (1978)

James Mausoleum - One of many Greek Revival Mausoleums (1978)

Wall surrounding the oldest part of the cemetery (1978)

Gothic Crypt (1978)

Crypt with Ionic Columns (1978)

Thomas Worthington's Stone (1978)

General Joshua Sill Stone in the foreground background of several monuments of superior workmanship (1978)

Civil War Veterans' Monument (1978)

Fullerton Plot - one of many such family plots (1978)

Houk (hillside) Mausoleum (1978)
