Did this cemetery ever really exist? - VanDillingham Church Cemetery - Perry Township - Franklin County, Ohio - A 1930s WPA Cemetery Plat Map that is unlike any other!

The VanDillingham Church Cemetery shown as being located in Perry Township, Franklin County, Ohio has a W.P.A. cemetery plat map unlike any other!  I couldn't find the cemetery name on Find A Grave, or anywhere else. That was just the start of a journey to learn more about this unusual W.P.A. cemetery plat map - and it hasn't ended yet.  

Fortunately for me, Grace at the Columbus Metro Public Library did help answer the question about the VanDillingham Church Cemetery's existence.  It does exist, but not under that name or in that township!  It is the Old Baptist Church Cemetery in Truro Township, Franklin County.  

It is also called the Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery now on Find A Grave.

See the comparison below.:

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Below is a 3-image collage showing a more close up view of some of the names written on the WPA Cemetery Plat map for this cemetery named "VanDillingham Church Cemetery".

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It is evident from the three photo collage below that the Official Project Numbers of 465-42-3-467 & 665-42-3-232 that are associated with the WPA Program and appears in the "Legend of Wars Box" is missing for this VanDillingham Church Cemetery.   Only a partial listing of the designated numbers for the wars, a short history of the cemetery, and the size of the cemetery are shown there, however.  

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Emphasis appears to be more about the platting of this cemetery as referenced by the "Note:  "Measurements at edges of plat show method of plotting unmapped cemetery."  And, we can see in the very right-hand corner is the tiny, but nevertheless important, notation of:

 "Ohio State W.P.A. Project Number 99".  This Project Number has never been seen on a WPA Cemetery Plat Map before. Thus, additional research is needed; and so this mystery continues!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Including here is my response from the Franklin Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society to my question.:

"Consider this a Mystery NO MORE."

We notice that the first drawing you enclosed had 

a reference to State Route 256 along the left side

 of the cemetery and Jackson St. on the right side.  

We  were able to triangulate these two roads and

 discovered the Cemetery is Not in Perry Township

 but is actually in Reynoldsburg, Ohio Truro

 Township about 17 miles to the southwest of Perry

 Twp..

S.R 256 is also known in Reynoldsburg as Lancaster Ave. 

This cemetery is now known as the Old Primitive

 Baptist Church Cemetery - GPS

 Coordinates 39.952385, -82.800625.  

You will see a second much bigger cemetery across

the road which is known as the Silent Home

Cemetery.

You can find a number of photos of

 the Primitive Church Cemetery on Find A Grave.

The Reynoldsburg Street Department now

 maintains the Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery,

 Seceder Cemetery, and Hill Road Methodist

 Cemetery.

We found this Online.

“BAPTIST (PRIMITIVE BAPTIST) CEMETERY - Established 1844. Located at the intersection of Route 256 & Jackson street in Reynoldsburg. Still maintained by the church. The Church is still active. GPS Coordinates: N 39° 57.153 W 082° 48.015.  Although the church is called Friendship Primitive Baptist Church, the adjoining cemetery is referred to simply as "Primitive Baptist Cemetery." The stones date from the 1830s. It is small -- approximately 100-150 burials. 

There had not been any burials there for many years until the summer of 2007.  

The cemetery was restored in 1998.

Reynoldsburg was a key spot on the Underground Railroad because of its location and the number of abolitionists here. 

Slaves, traveling north from the Ohio River, were sent from Columbus along East Friend Street (East Main Street) to Reynoldsburg. The David Graham House, 1312 Epworth Avenue, still standing after 150 years, was a major Underground station. There was also a cave off Main Street near Waggoner Road, a room under the Old Primitive Baptist Church on South Jackson Avenue, and the Alexander W. Livingston seed farm, among others, that provided hiding during the day and transportation at night for escaped slaves.

The cemetery was Recorded/Indexed ca 1940.  Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery, Also known as Baptist Church Cemetery, Reynoldsburg, Truro Township, Franklin County, Ohio. Earliest burial indexed: 1818.”

The townships of Fayette Co.: Perry Twp. - Spotlight News Article - August 16 2019

"The townships of Fayette Co.: Perry Twp."

~~~~~~~~~~~
The three cemeteries being maintained by Perry Township Trustees as of August, 2019.: 

*****

Walnut Creek (Quaker) Cemetery

(Above)
Pvt. William Limes - War of 1812

*****

(Below)
Harvey Limes

*********
Cochran Cemetery
*********
Sugar Grove (Methodist) Cemetery

Finding Some Cemetery Related Gems on Ebay

Sharing my recent Ebay purchase where some wonderful cemetery-related "gems" can be found.

  In this case a cemetery deed for a lot in the Perry Cemetery located in Perry Township, Lake County, Ohio.   It was not a straight forward deed purchase either.  

The cemetery deed was for Lot No. 34 in Division 4 that was originally purchased by Rollin C. (Carlos) Hawkins for $13.00 on November 28, 1866.  He died much later on July 2, 1895.  

However, this deed was transferred on September 10, 1875 to the heirs of Joseph Quirk , who had died a few months earlier on June 26, 1875.  

Joseph Quirk's wife, Jane Quayle Quirk, had died a few days after the deed was transferred to the heirs of Joseph Quirk on September 29, 1875. 

"For the consideration of $20.00

I hereby transfer my right and title to 

the within described Cemetery Lot

to the Heirs of Joseph Quirk

Perry O. September 10, 1875

Signed by Rollin C. Hawkins"

Cemetery Thieves Strike Walnut Creek (Quaker) Cemetery - Perry Township, Fayette County, Ohio

It has been brought to my attention today that a large and heavy iron planter that had been part of the grave plot for the local Terrell Family for over 100 years was removed and stolen from the Walnut Creek (Quaker) Cemetery in Perry Township, Fayette County, Ohio.  

********

The Fayette County Sheriff's Department has been alerted to the theft. 

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Photograph below taken by Gail Allen in 2013 showing

the heavy iron planter at the Terrell gravesites that was

recently removed and stolen

Photograph below courtesy of Linda Jean Limes Ellis

The small red square seen at the back on the right of the photo below

is where the Terrell iron planter sat.

Photographs below courtesy of Jerry Tuttle

 

 Orla G. Terrell

 Elizabeth Terrell

Photograph below by Linda Jean Limes Ellis

The Grave Marker of Harvey Limes at Walnut Creek Cemetery, Perry Township, Fayette County, Ohio -- What a Year After a D/2 Biological Solution Application Can Do for This Early Ohio Gravestone!

I am very pleased to share this three photo comparison of how the Harvey Limes' grave marker looks today 14 months after D/2 Biological Solution was applied to it with a soft bristle brush and a lot of rinsing.  

No power tools or power washers were used to bring out the life, with its surface left intact, of this stone that was erected in 1839.

Lingering Thoughts: Walnut Creek Cemetery in Perry Township, Fayette County, Ohio -- Potter's Field and Outstanding Tombstone Photo Requests on "Find A Grave"

Sharing some recent photographs from Richie Wilson whose grandfather is Richard Wilson of New Martinsburg and the Perry Township Trustee who is the caretaker of the Walnut Creek Cemetery near the village. 

Richie mentioned that the back area of the Walnut Creek Cemetery is "Potter's Field."  I didn't know that!  There are no visible gravestones there.  I do not know if written records exist that details the names and other information about those buried at "Potter's Field" at Walnut Creek.  Hoping that if someone does know, we can learn more about it.  

In the meantime, below are links to Walnut Creek Cemetery followed by the photographs shared by Richie Wilson.

Walnut Creek Cemetery on "Find A Grave"

17 Open Requests on "Find A Grave" for for Walnut Creek Cemetery for grave marker photos 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Two Photos Below:

The cleared away section in the rear of the Walnut Creek Cemetery where there is a Potter's Field area. 

 Below:

Partial view of the newer front section of Walnut Creek Cemetery

Spotlightling Cochran Cemetery, Perry Township, Fayette County, Ohio - Ohio Historic Inventory Form Finalized!

Sharing the scanned images of the Ohio Historic Inventory Form for the Cochran Cemetery, on the site of the former Cochran Methodist Episcopal Church in Perry Township, Fayette County, Ohio.  Cochran Cemetery's Ohio Historic Preservation Office Number is:  FAY0022509.

I had a lot of help with compiling the information to complete these pages! 

Thanking Renee Loyd and Cathy Templin of the Fayette County Recorder's Office for their help with locating deeds for Cochran Cemetery.  

Renee also visited Cochran Cemetery herself and took photographs of the six Smith Family children's broken gravestones that were featured here recently in another post.  All of the children died in 1837 within days of each other from "Milk Sickness".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanking Carol Holliger, Archivist, 

Archives of Ohio United Methodism, Ohio Wesleyan University,

Beeghly Library in Delaware, Ohio for providing me with information about Barnabus AKA Barnabas Cochran and the history of the Cochran Methodist Episcopal Churches (there were 3 of them over the years) on the property where the Cochran Cemetery is located.  

Information from Carol Holliger:

"The history written by John Versteeg in 1963 (History of the Methodist Protestant Church) includes histories of many M.E. churches, including Cochran. I do not know where John got his information but he claims there were three churches, the original log church, the 1851 frame building, and the 1893 brick building.

 

I do not have a closed church file for Cochran, but I did find some information in the Ohio Conference journals. An entry appears in 1931 indicating that the following was authorized:

 

“Sale of Staunton Parsonage, net proceeds to be divided by order of Fayette County Parish Quarterly Conference. Transfer of Cochran Church on Fayette County Parish to trustees of Perry Township, Fayette, County, Ohio, to be used for a cemetery chapel—this in such manner as the civil law provides.” – FYI, the churches in the Fayette County Parish were Good Hope, Sugar Grove, Staunton, Maple Grove, Buena Vista, New Martinsburg, and Cochrans. There is no documentation that the transfer ever took place.

 

Then in 1949, the following authorization appears:

 

“Cochran Church, Good Hope Charge, proceeds to be used by the Chillicothe District. The recommendation was that it be declared abandoned by the Annual Conference and sold.” This authorization appears again in 1950, 1951, and 1952. Again, there is no documentation that a sale ever took place.

 

I have also attached the 1865 list of missionary donations by members of the Staunton Circuit. You can see that Cochran’s is part of this circuit then, and there is a list of those members."

 

 **********************

Thanking Susan Tietz:  Susan Tietz | National Register and Inventory Manager, State Historic Preservation Office Ohio History Connection | 800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, OH 43211

p. 614.298.2000 | f. 614.298.2037 | stietz@ohiohistory.org

With Susan's guidance and patience, she answered all of my questions as I moved along completing each block and section on the form.  

Susan imparted some advice that would aid in completing another OHI form for a cemetery:

"Assimilate the sources of information you have into narratives for the physical description, historical significance and environmental setting, add them to the fillable pdf form and we could just transfer your narrative?  Below is a better explanation of the intent and type of information typically contained in the open text fields.

 

The open text fields have specific functions and are designed to include specific information --the physical description field is typically for describing a building, but can be adjusted to address a cemetery. This field should discuss the topography and physical appearance of the cemetery. Things like—is the ground flat or rolling? Are there mature trees or small shrubs? Sidewalks or walkways? A fence? How are the graves arranged? Large/small/deteriorated/high style/vernacular designs to the gravestones? Are there any distinctive landscape or built features that merit mention?  These are just a few things to think about as you look at the cemetery—there may be others.

 

The historic significance field should include basic information about the history of the cemetery…was it a family or community cemetery? Was there historically a church associated with the cemetery (extant or existing).  What is the date range of the markers? In a sentence or two, say who is buried here? Early community members? Primarily German/English/any specific background? Here, you could mention a couple of the most prominent people that are buried at the cemetery, but we don’t have space to include extended genealogy.

 

The description of environment and outbuildings field should include a narrative that describes the environment in which the cemetery sits—quiet 2 lane country roads? Busy 4 lane county roads? Is it easily accessed on foot? Long gravel driveway? Abuts the road? Set in agricultural fields? Neglected/well kept?

 

The narrative for these fields should be succinct but descriptive and use complete sentences. We don’t necessarily include all of the information discovered through research, the form should provide a road map for future researchers, which is why we include the bibliography. If additional detail is desired by a future researcher, the bibliography shows them where to go for more information."

 

Focusing on the Cochran Cemetery - Past and Present (Perry Township, Fayette County, Ohio)

First, I wish to express my gratitude to Renee Loyd for sharing her gravestone photographs that are shown below taken Saturday, August 8th. 

After reading the February 26, 1959 "Record-Herald" (Washington Court House, Fayette County, Ohio) newspaper story about the six Smith Family children who all died from "Milk Sickness" in 1837, Renee was prompted to visit the Cochran Cemetery and photograph their gravesites which are shown in the article when their upright markers were each standing in one piece at the time.

Sadly, as it so often happens at Ohio's cemeteries, the ravages of time and vandalism have taken their toll on the Cochran Cemetery and the gravestones; including those of the John and Eleanor Smith family and their children:  John, Lewis, Harrison, Elizabeth, Sarah J., and Anna which are now lying on the ground in mostly poor condition. 

The newspaper story pages appear above the photographs (Source "Newspaperarchive.com".) 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Only son John's gravestone is missing from the photographs.   

 

 (Above)
A view of how the row of the John and Eleanor Smith family gravestones look today.

 

(Above)
Father, John Smith's gravestone 

 (Above)
Mother, Eleanor Smith's gravestone, fortunately mostly intact.

 (Above)
Anna Smith's gravestone

 

  (Above two photographs)

Pieces of the Harrison Smith gravestone and a close up photo of the inscription on the top broken portion of the marker.

  (Below)
Elizabeth and Sarah J. Smith -- same marker, mostly intact.

 

 (Below two photographs)
The Lewis Smith gravestone now in two parts and lying on the ground

 

 The young children of John and Eleanor Smith of Fayette County, Ohio have not been forgotten -- neither in 1959 nor today. 

The historic details of their tragic story endures despite the shortened years of their lives.  

Appealing to those responsible for the care at the Cochran Cemetery --

These grave markers deserve to be properly repaired, cleaned, and re-set to truly honor the children's memory.   The inscriptions on their gravestones are worth saving.

Walnut Creek Cemetery - Perry Township - Fayette County, Ohio - July 17, 2015

 

  Views above of the Harvey Limes gravestone both after cleaning and beneath it taken before cleaning.

 

 

 

  William Limes military marker below.  

The first photograph was taken following cleaning and the photograph beneath it was taken prior to cleaning.