Universalist Cemetery, Springboro Ohio, Warren County OHGenWeb Project

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Warren County, Ohio Virtual Cemetery Project
a project of the Warren County Genealogical Society a chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society
in partnership with the Warren County OHGenWeb Project.

Universalist Cemetery of Springboro, Ohio
behind 70 North Main Street
Springboro, Warren County, Ohio

Index to Available Gravestone Photos
List of Known Burials A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z [no surname/illegible] [Universalist Cemetery Home page]

The Springboro Universalist Church was built on the north end of town in 1842 on land purchased from the Gregg family. The property is shown on Lot 5 on the 1867 wall map but is now known as out lot 6 in Warren County Records. The cemetery was located in a 1/2 acre lot behind the church. The 1st known burial was that of Nicholas Fye in 1837 and by 1850 the cemetery was said to be 40% full. In 1905 the congregation built a new stone church at 300 South Main Street but the membership fell off to 13 people by 1920 and the church was disbanded. Known burials in the cemetery date from 1837 to 1867 although other records indicate the last burial occurred in 1954.

Warren County Genealogical Society members who visited the site in 1983 only found 9 markers in the overgrown cemetery.

The cemetery was restored by local citizens in 1992. An article on page 90 of "Paths through the Wilderness" by Don Ross says that over 60 gravemarkers were in place after the 1992 restoration. Sadly the cemetery was vandalized two times during that restoration resulting in many of the now broken stones.
A 28 Oct 1992 article in the Dayton Daily News says "a map of the cemetery filed with the county shows a total of 48 family plots with space for six graves in each plot" [288 graves locations]

The cemetery is again being "reclaimed" in 2009 thanks to the efforts of Warren Coungy Genealogical Society member Terry Easton.

This effort began with a Restoration Clinic presented by John "Walt" & Micki Walters of Graveyard Groomers, Connersville, Indiana that was held on May 31st, 2009. The clinic was attended by over 35 individuals from Warren County as well as surrounding counties and included a range of individuals from girl scouts to senior citizens. Two WCGS members traveled from Florida and Iowa to attend the session.
The program by Walt and Micki provided numerous hands-on tips & techniques and is a wonderful introduction to the do's and don'ts of preserving and/or restoring historic cemeteries.
CLICK HERE for ===> CLINIC PHOTOS
Volunteers continue to visit the cemetery to repair and reset the gravestones in the cemetery.

Gravestones for 41 of the 47 known burials & 11 footstones have been identified so far. Three footstones have been located that do not match any of the known burials in the cemetery [H. I. B.; M. E. F. and K. H. F. L.] Numerous field stones and stone fragments are present.

Looking West - 1 April 2009

Index to Available Gravestone Photos
List of Known Burials A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z [no surname/illegible] [Universalist Cemetery Home page]

Location:	East Side of Route 741 1 block north of Route 73 at Parker Drive in lot located behind the building at 70 north Main Street. [a right of way provides access to the cemetery between the buildings at 60 N. Main and 70 N. Main.] "Ohio Cemeteries 1803-2003" by the Ohio Genealogical Society , Cemetery #12200 [Friends Universalist Cemetery] Coordinates: Center of cemetery at 39° 33' 31.03"N, 84° 13' 54.59"W TRS: Range 5 North Township 2 East Section 7 [northwest corner of section]
Links:	USGS GNIS - Not included in the GNIS system Google Map at coordinates 39° 33' 31.03"N, 84° 13' 54.59"W Warren County Auditor for "Cemetery", Property Account # 526622, Parcel ID 12132000220] - out lot #6 in Springboro, Ohio Aerial Image of the Universalist Cemetery location from Windows Live Local Range 5 Township 2 Section 7 from Warner's 1867 Warren County Ohio Wall Map Springboro Universalist Cemetery - Web site by Terry Easton
Transcriptions:	D.A.R. Turtlecreek Chapter & Warren County Historical Society (available at the Historical Society Library) Early Vital Records Volume 7, pages 71-72 Early Vital Records Volume 10, pages 79-80 Warren County Genealogical Society Warren County Cemetery Records Volume 6 pages 357-358 - See Every Name Index Our thanks to WCGS Society member, Rich Lowe for sharing his gravestone photos taken during the 31 May 2009 Cemetery Restoration Clinic. Other Known Transcriptions None Known of
Variant Names:	Friends Universalist Cemetery ["Friends" thought to be a misnomer as there was no known connection to the Hicksite or the Orthodox Quaker churches in Springboro]