Mound Cemetery (Marietta, Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Mound Cemetery Mound
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Mound Cemetery with Great Mound in background
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 5th and Scammel Sts., Marietta, Ohio |
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| NRHP reference No. | 73001549 |
| Added to NRHP | February 23, 1973 |
Mound Cemetery in Marietta, Ohio, is a very old cemetery. It was built around a huge, ancient burial mound. This mound was made by the Adena people long ago. It is known as the Great Mound or Conus.
The people who founded Marietta wanted to protect this special mound. So, in 1801, they created the city cemetery around it. This way, the Great Mound was saved from being destroyed.
The city of Marietta was started in 1788. Pioneers from Massachusetts moved there after the American Revolutionary War. Many of these founders were officers from the war. They received land for their military service. Mound Cemetery has more American Revolutionary War officers buried there than any other place in the country.
The Great Mound: An Ancient Wonder
The large, cone-shaped mound at Mound Cemetery is called the Great Mound or Conus. It is part of a bigger group of ancient earthworks. These were built by the Hopewell culture. Experts believe they were made between 100 BC and 500 AD.
Early European American settlers gave these structures Latin names. The whole area included the Sacra Via, which means "sacred way." There were also three walled areas called Quadranaou and Capitolium. Plus, there were other flat-topped mounds.
The Conus burial mound had a ditch and an embankment around it. In 1838, Samuel Ryan Curtis, a civil engineer, surveyed these earthworks. His drawings helped us understand how they looked.
The Conus mound was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This means it is a very important historical site. In 1990, archaeologists dug into the Capitolium mound. They confirmed that the Hopewell people built these amazing structures.
Revolutionary War Heroes Buried Here
The city of Marietta was founded in 1788. This was soon after the American Revolutionary War ended. Many of the city's first settlers were soldiers from that war. They were part of the Ohio Company of Associates.
These founders decided to build the cemetery around the Great Mound. This helped protect the ancient site. Mound Cemetery is special because it has the most American Revolutionary War officers buried in one place.
Many of these officers received land grants for their service. Important leaders buried here include General Rufus Putnam and General Benjamin Tupper. They both helped start the Ohio Company. Commodore Abraham Whipple and Colonel William Stacy are also buried here.
The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) once said:
It was stated at the Conference that "more officers of the Revolution are buried in the Old Mound Cemetery, Marietta, than at any other place in the United States."
—DAR, American Monthly, Vol. 16 (Jan–Jun 1900), 329.
In 1825, a famous French general named Lafayette visited Marietta. He fought alongside the Americans in the Revolution. He spoke highly of the veterans in Marietta. He said, "They were the bravest of the brave. Better men never lived."
The Washington County Historical Society made a list of Revolutionary soldiers buried here. Some notable people on that list are:
- Col. Robert Taylor, who was the first person buried in the cemetery.
- Gen. Rufus Putnam
- Griffin Greene, Sr., a Quartermaster
- Commodore Abraham Whipple
- Col. Ebenezer Sproat
- Col. William Stacy, Sr.
- Gen. Benjamin Tupper
- Maj. Anselm Tupper
- Capt. Nathaniel Saltonstall
- Samuel Hildreth, Sr.
Samuel Prescott Hildreth (1783–1863) is also buried here. His books tell us a lot about the early days of Marietta. They describe the lives of the soldiers and pioneers.
General James Mitchell Varnum was first buried in Mound Cemetery. Later, his remains were moved to Oak Grove Cemetery in Marietta.
Images for kids
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Drawing of Mound Cemetery, 1846
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Drawing of Marietta Earthworks
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Rufus Putnam marker
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Benjamin Tupper and Anselm Tupper marker
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Abraham Whipple marker
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Nath. Saltonstall marker
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Samuel Hildreth marker
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