Mount Calvary Cemetery (Columbus, Ohio)
Encyclopedia
Mount Calvary Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery in Columbus, Ohio
, located west of downtown next to Cooper Stadium
and Green Lawn Cemetery. It is the oldest active Catholic cemetery in Franklin County
. It is maintained by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus
, and has approximately 40,000 interments over 40 acres.
Mount Calvary is divided into two sections that were historically paid for and separately maintained by two parishes of different ethnic backgrounds. The north section, "Holycross," was for the German parish, and the south section, "Cathedral", was for the Irish parish. Separating the two sections is the "Priests' Circle," reserved for clergy.
, and burials on the site also began that year. Zimmer purchased an adjoining two-acre plot in 1866, and sold the two plots to the Diocese in 1868. The land was further expanded in 1871 by three plots purchased by Father John Ambrose Watterson
, later Bishop of Columbus.
The cemetery was consecrated in 1874 by Bishop Sylvester Rosecrans. Bishop Rosecrans further directed that no more burials were to be made in the old St. Patrick's Cemetery. The Diocese finally requested in 1887 that burials be moved from there to Mount Calvary, but met resistance from family of the deceased. The controversy was ultimately decided by the Supreme Court of Ohio
, which ruled in the Diocese's favor that the old cemetery was no longer practical to maintain. Burials from St. Jacob Cemetery (also known as Frey Cemetery or German Catholic Cemetery) were also moved to Mount Calvary between 1906 and 1908.
On March 25, 1913, a catastrophic flood devastated the nearby neighborhood of Franklinton and covered the western portion of the cemetery, destroying some property and records.
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, located west of downtown next to Cooper Stadium
Cooper Stadium
Cooper Stadium is a baseball stadium in Columbus, Ohio and was the home of the minor league Columbus Clippers from 1977 to 2008. Cooper Stadium has had several names over the years, including Red Bird Stadium, Jets Stadium and Franklin County Stadium, but in 1984 the stadium was renamed in honor of...
and Green Lawn Cemetery. It is the oldest active Catholic cemetery in Franklin County
Franklin County, Ohio
Franklin County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. In 2010 the population was 1,163,414, making it the second largest county in Ohio and the 34th largest county in population in the United States. Franklin County is also the largest in the eight-county Columbus, Ohio...
. It is maintained by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus
Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus is a Roman Catholic diocese in the Ecclesiastical Province of Cincinnati covering 23 counties in Ohio. The episcopal see of the diocese is situated at Columbus, Ohio. The diocese was erected on March 3, 1868 by Pope Pius IX out of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati...
, and has approximately 40,000 interments over 40 acres.
Mount Calvary is divided into two sections that were historically paid for and separately maintained by two parishes of different ethnic backgrounds. The north section, "Holycross," was for the German parish, and the south section, "Cathedral", was for the Irish parish. Separating the two sections is the "Priests' Circle," reserved for clergy.
History
The cemetery was established in part to replace the old St. Patrick's Cemetery, which was located in downtown Columbus and had become encircled by the city's growth. A plot of just over 25 acres of land, outside the city's original limits, was purchased in 1865 by John F. Zimmer in trust for the Diocese of ColumbusRoman Catholic Diocese of Columbus
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus is a Roman Catholic diocese in the Ecclesiastical Province of Cincinnati covering 23 counties in Ohio. The episcopal see of the diocese is situated at Columbus, Ohio. The diocese was erected on March 3, 1868 by Pope Pius IX out of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati...
, and burials on the site also began that year. Zimmer purchased an adjoining two-acre plot in 1866, and sold the two plots to the Diocese in 1868. The land was further expanded in 1871 by three plots purchased by Father John Ambrose Watterson
John Ambrose Watterson
John Ambrose Watterson was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Columbus from 1880 until his death in 1899.-Biography:...
, later Bishop of Columbus.
The cemetery was consecrated in 1874 by Bishop Sylvester Rosecrans. Bishop Rosecrans further directed that no more burials were to be made in the old St. Patrick's Cemetery. The Diocese finally requested in 1887 that burials be moved from there to Mount Calvary, but met resistance from family of the deceased. The controversy was ultimately decided by the Supreme Court of Ohio
Supreme Court of Ohio
The Supreme Court of Ohio is the highest court in the U.S. state of Ohio, with final authority over interpretations of Ohio law and the Ohio Constitution. The court has seven members, a chief justice and six associate justices, each serving six-year terms...
, which ruled in the Diocese's favor that the old cemetery was no longer practical to maintain. Burials from St. Jacob Cemetery (also known as Frey Cemetery or German Catholic Cemetery) were also moved to Mount Calvary between 1906 and 1908.
On March 25, 1913, a catastrophic flood devastated the nearby neighborhood of Franklinton and covered the western portion of the cemetery, destroying some property and records.
Notable burials
- Anna Marie HahnAnna Marie HahnAnna Marie Hahn was a German-born American serial killer....
(1906 - 1938), a serial killer who was the first woman executed in the electric chair in Ohio. - Graham McNameeGraham McNameeGraham McNamee was a pioneering broadcaster in American radio, the medium's most recognized national personality in its first international decade....
(1888 - 1942), pioneering radio broadcaster. - John Ambrose WattersonJohn Ambrose WattersonJohn Ambrose Watterson was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Columbus from 1880 until his death in 1899.-Biography:...
(1844 - 1899), Bishop of Columbus from 1880 until his death; namesake of Bishop Watterson High School. - Louis Zettler (1832 - 1907), Columbus businessman, City Councilman, and Chief of Police.