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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. |
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Pioneer Cemetery originally called the Baptist Graveyard (north) and Methodist Graveyard (south) Lebanon, Ohio |
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[To add your photos email them in jpg format to Arne H Trelvik ]
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Cemetery Transcriptions:
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The Beers 1882 History of Warren County contains the following passages beginning on page 471
"On the 7th of September, 1806, Jonathan Tichenor and Abner Smith, as Trustees of the Presbyterian Church at Lebanon, in consideration of $40, purchased of John Shaw a lot, which is now in the western part of Lebanon, for a graveyard, and is known as the Old Presbyterian Graveyard. This is the oldest graveyard at Lebanon. It is much older than the date of the deed to the Presbyterian society would indicate, as it is known that it was used as a place of burial as early as 1799. There are no inscriptions upon the tombstones marking the earliest graves. Capt. Robert Benham was buried here, but there is no inscription upon his tombstone. The grounds have long been neglected, and are grown up with weeds and briers. Many remains interred here have been removed to the Lebanon Cemetery. Among the names of well-known families of Warren County, the following are found on the tombstones in this yard: Beller, Ferguson, James, Randolph, Dill, Perlee, Dunlap, Halsey, Monfort, Miller, Blackburn, Beedle, Braden Bone, Brown, Liddell, Krewson, Cowan, Perrine, Tharp, Goodwin, McCrary, Dunham, Crane and Benham.
About 1811, the Baptists removed their church from the site east of Lebanon to a lot in the western part of the town, as since enlarged. The churchyard from that time was used as a burying-ground, and is still known as the Baptist Graveyard. Here are the graves of Judge Francis Dunlevy, Elder Daniel Clark, Judge Joshua Collett, Judge Matthias Corwin (the father of Gov. Corwin), and Keziah Corwin (grandmother of the Governor). In this yard was buried a daughter of Henry Clay, the inscription upon whose tombstone is as follows: “In memory of Eliza H. Clay, daughter of Henry and Lucretia Clay, who died on the 11th day of August, 1825, aged twelve years, during a journey from their residence at Lexington, in Kentucky, to Washington City. Cut off in the bloom of a promising life, here parents have erected this monument, consoling themselves with the belief that she now abides in heaven.”
What is known as the Methodist Graveyard, which adjoins the Baptist burying-ground on the south, does not seem to have been used as such until about 1820. There is now no line marking the boundary between the two yards, both being within the same inclosure, and the whole comprises a square within the corporate limits of Lebanon. Although some of the remains have been removed to the new cemetery, the grounds are still kept in good preservation, and no steps have as yet been taken for their abandonment as graveyards."
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| Southwest Corner of cemetery, looking east on Main Street.The Pioneer Cemetery is maintained by the City of Lebanon. The sign and retaining wall in the top photo were installed in 2003 in conjunction with the Main Street renovation project. | |
 Looking South |
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 Looking South - East side of Cemetery |
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 Looking South - West side of Cemetery (note the wrought iron fence, taken down for painting at the time of the photo has since been reinstalled) |
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[To add your photos email them in jpg format to Arne H Trelvik ]
This page updated
23 February, 2009
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