By 1808Delaware
For 175 years, Oak Grove Cemetery has served as both a final resting place and a record of Delaware’s history.
The City of Delaware will commemorate that milestone Saturday, August 1, with a public ceremony and tours highlighting the people, landscape and stories that have shaped the cemetery since its establishment in 1851. The free event will begin at 12:00 PM near the cemetery entrance along South Sandusky Street. No registration is required.
A cemetery that tells Delaware’s story
Oak Grove has grown into the largest cemetery in Delaware County, covering approximately 70 to 80 acres. The grounds contain an estimated 21,000 to 22,000 interments, depending on whether the adjoining St. Mary Cemetery is included in the count.
The cemetery is the burial place of generations of Delaware residents, including many of the community’s earliest settlers, civic leaders, business owners and prominent families. Among those associated with Oak Grove are Delaware founder Moses Byxbe, former Ohio governor and U.S. senator Frank B. Willis, and members of President Rutherford B. Hayes’ family. Their graves, along with thousands of others, trace Delaware’s development from a small early Ohio settlement into the community it is today.
Ceremony and tours planned
The August 1 program will include an anniversary ceremony and a proclamation presented by Delaware Mayor Carolyn Riggle. Visitors will also be able to hear from people involved in preserving and maintaining the cemetery. Guided and self-guided tours will provide opportunities to learn about notable burials, local history and the cemetery’s changing landscape.
Oak Grove has long served as a setting for historical programs and cemetery walks. The Delaware County Historical Society and other local organizations have used its monuments and burial sites to introduce residents to people whose lives influenced the city and county.
History within a living landscape
Beyond its historical importance, Oak Grove is known for its wooded setting, rolling terrain and mature trees. Its landscape has often been described as having the qualities of an arboretum, with flowers, wildlife and quiet natural areas preserved within the city.
The City of Delaware began operating the cemetery in 2012. Since then, officials have undertaken improvements while considering future additions that could include a veterans plaza, mausoleum and natural-burial area. The grounds have however lost their distinctive 19th-century caretaker’s house recently, a structure that had long contributed to Oak Grove’s historic character.
The anniversary observance will offer residents a chance to recognize what remains, remember those buried there and consider Oak Grove’s continuing place in Delaware’s story.
Image by Ilona Frey from Pixabay
