LITCHFIELD CEMETERY – MedinaCountyGraves.com

BURIAL LISTINGS (OLD EAST SECTION/SECTION A)
BURIAL LISTINGS (NEW EAST SECTION/SECTION B)
BURIAL LISTINGS (OLD CENTER SECTION/SECTION C)
BURIAL LISTINGS (NEW CENTER SECTION/SECTION D)
BURIAL LISTINGS (OLD WEST SECTION/SECTION E)
BURIAL LISTINGS (NEW WEST SECTION/SECTION F)
BURIAL LISTINGS (NEW WEST SECTION/SECTION G)

TOWNSHIP: Litchfield
ALTERNATE NAMES: Litchfield Burial Park, Litchfield Center Cemetery
Litchfield Township Cemetery
LOCATION: north side of Norwalk Rd. (SR-18); east of the circle in Litchfield
CURRENT OWNER: Trustees of Litchfield Township
ACCESS: public
STATUS: active
SIZE: 12.8388 acres (5.3002 currently in use; 7.5386 available for future development)
ESTIMATED NUMBER OF BURIALS: 1650+
EARLIEST KNOWN BURIAL: June 13, 1831 – Jane T. Strait
MOST RECENT KNOWN BURIAL: still active

GPS: N 41° 10’ 06.2”; W 082° 01’ 02.2”
PERMANENT PARCEL #: 024-04B-31-018 (Medina County Engineer’s Overhead View – west parcel)
024-04B-31-019 (Medina County Engineer’s Overhead View – east parcel)
024-04B-31-020 (Medina County Engineer’s Overhead View – rear strip)
024-04B-31-027 (Medina County Engineer’s Overhead View – back undeveloped)
024-04B-31-029 (Medina County Engineer’s Overhead View – east strip)
ORIGINAL LOT #: Lot 36
TOWNSHIP, RANGE: T3N: R16W

CEMETERY HISTORY

The township of Litchfield was first settled in the year 1830. The winter of 1831 brought Asa Strait and his family to the new colony. Sadly, it is not long after that we find the first death, which is also the first burial in this cemetery, recorded as follows:

“On the 13th of June, 1831, an event occurred which cast a shadow of sadness over the whole colony, for the time being. This was the death of little Jane, the daughter of Asa Strait. This was the first death that took place in the township, and the funeral services were the first open religious services ever held in the colony.” – 1881 History of Medina County, Ohio (page 527)

At this time the cemetery land was part of a 223-acre parcel owned by Russell C. Abernathy who then sold it to Benoni Olcott on March 28, 1833 (Volume G, page 304).

OLD EAST & OLD CENTER SECTIONS

The original cemetery was one acre in size and consisted roughly of the area in the east section that is south of the receiving vault (what is now known as the Old East Section) and the area of the Old Center Section contained by the old driveway.

This first purchase of cemetery land was on February 4, 1850 when Benoni Olcott sold one acre of land to the Trustees of Litchfield for the sum of twenty-five dollars as recorded in Volume BB, page 162 of the Medina County Land Records:

“and is bounded as follows commencing on the north side of East & West Center Road eighty five rods east of the center of said township of Litchfield and running east twelve rods, thence north thirteen rods, thence west twelve rods, thence south to the place of beginning, be the same more or less. To have and to hold the above granted and bargained premises, with the appurtenances thereof, unto the said Trustees of Litchfield township & their successors in office for the use of a burying ground….”

Soon after, another parcel of land was added to the cemetery. It borders the original acre on the north and west sides and consists of the rows in the Old Center Section that are west of the old driveway, the area of the Old Center Section north of the old driveway, and the area of the New East Section that includes the receiving vault and the former tool house.

This second purchase was made on June 7, 1858 when J.H. & D.B. Olcott sold a ½ acre of land to the Litchfield Twp. Trustees for the sum of fifty dollars as recorded in Volume 12, page 438 of the Medina County Land Records:

“Commencing at the south east corner of the Burying Ground at the center of said Litchfield; thence west fifteen and one half rods; thence north fifteen and one half rods; thence east fifteen and one half rods; thence south fifteen and one half rods to the place of beginning excepting the present one acre deeded by Benoni Olcott to said Township. Said Township is to support a good and sufficient fence around the above described ground. To have and to hold the premises aforesaid unto the said trustees to the only use and behoof of the said trustees for a Township Burying Ground forever….”

From these early purchases we have the two oldest sections of the cemetery. The eastern part (known as the Old East Section) was laid out as eight rows of thirteen lots. Each lot looks to be nine feet long by sixteen feet wide, and contains five gravesites*. Grave #1 is on the north end of each lot*. Some of the spacing between the rows isn’t very uniform; particularly between the fifth and sixth rows.

The 1858 addition to the east section was left mostly unused for burials. Only two burials – one in 1879, another in 1897 – are known to have been made in this addition prior to 1945. The receiving vault was built in this area in 1882. The May 9, 1884 Medina County Gazette (pg. 1) makes mention of Carrie Brooker being placed there. A tool house also existed just to the north of this vault but it has since been torn down; probably sometime after 1949. When the New East Section was laid out – sometime after 1892 – it was eventually laid out as ten rows of lots as opposed to just eight. The aforementioned addition was laid out the same way. This was possible because the eastern section of the cemetery becomes wider as you move towards the north end. Despite being part of the oldest purchases, this area is considered part of the New East Section in cemetery records.

A driveway about ten feet wide (now known as the East Driveway) entered from the road northward about 200 feet and then turned to the west. It then ran about 85 feet until turning back south and out to the road. The old driveway was vacated at some point – probably after 1892 – but has not been used for gravesites and simply stands as an open area. A large metal monument is now located in this driveway; just across from the receiving vault.

The remainder of the original cemetery is known as the Old Center Section. The area contained by the old driveway consists of eight rows of fourteen lots. Each lot is probably nine feet long by fifteen feet wide and contains five gravesites*. Grave #1 is on the north end of each lot*.

The strip of land to the north of the old driveway was laid out such that two more lots were added to each row in the area contained by the driveway. These lots are probably nine feet long by eighteen feet wide and contain six gravesites. Some of the lots are of abnormal size; appearing to be double lots. Five such lots are found in this area; being about eighteen feet long by eighteen feet wide and containing eight gravesites*.

The area west of the old drive was laid out as six rows of fourteen lots. Each lot looks to be nine feet long by eighteen feet wide and composed of six gravesites*. Grave #1 is on the north end of each lot*. While all maps of the cemetery show six rows in this area, an onsite look at this region west of the line of the old driveway clearly shows that there are only five rows of stones. While some of the rows are spaced correctly, a few of the rows appear visibly larger. Despite the intended layout, the visible evidence renders the existence of a sixth row of burials as dubious. For the burial listings in this region, the burials have been assigned to the row of lots numbered 565-574 whereas the row of lots numbered 583-592 has been left as empty.

* – based on information in WPA map.

Medina County Engineer’s overhead view of Litchfield Cemetery (Sections A, B, C, D, and E – top is north)

NEW EAST, NEW CENTER, OLD WEST SECTIONS

The grounds were doubled in size by the next addition which would consist of what is the New East Section, the New Center Section, the middle driveway, and the Old West Section.

This third purchase was a 1 ½ acre parcel sold by Lovina F. Thayer to the Trustees of Litchfield Twp. on April 22, 1892 for the sum of one-hundred and fifty dollars as recorded in Volume 57, page 230 of the Medina County Land Records:

“Being situated near the south west corner of lot thirty six (36) and to be an addition to the Cemetery of said Litchfield Township and bounded as follows, commencing at the northeast corner of the Cemetery, thence north one hundred and fifty seven feet and four inches (157 4/12), thence west parallel with the south line of said lot (37) three hundred and seventeen feet (317), thence south parallel with the east line four hundred and fifteen feet and four inches (415 4/12) to the south lot line of lot (37) thence east on the south line of said lot (37) sixty feet, to the south west corner of said Cemetery, containing one and one half acre of land.”

The New East Section was laid out as ten rows of eight lots with a ten-foot drive running east-west through the middle. Both the WPA map and an old map found in township records show this area laid out with only eight rows (like the Old East Section). This might have been the original plan but, given the section being wider on the north end, room exists to allow for two extra rows. This section was mostly left alone while the New Center and Old West sections were getting a lot of use. Given that the WPA map was done around 1940, the two additional rows were probably added after that time. The ten row layout was also extended to include the area where the receiving vault and toolhouse were. For that reason it is considered part of the New East Section in cemetery records.

Each lot is sixteen feet wide by ten feet long. Burial records indicate that these lots were originally set up for five gravesites but they are now used as four-grave lots. Grave #1 is on the north end of each lot.

The New Center Section was laid out much the same; being fifteen rows of eight lots with a ten-foot drive running east-west through the middle. Each lot is sixteen feet wide by nine feet long. Sexton’s records show a number of these lots as being set up for five gravesites but they are now used as four-grave lots. Grave #1 is on the north end of each lot.

Two family burial vaults are found in this section, the Hamman Vault and the Leach Vault.

Given some additional room in the northeast corner of this section behind the Hamman Vault, two additional lots were added there. This was not part of the original layout and does not appear in the WPA map for the cemetery.

The Old West Section is a strip of land consisting of three rows of twenty-three lots each. Each lot is sixteen feet wide by nine feet long. Sexton’s records show a number of these lots as being set up for five gravesites but they are now used as four-grave lots. Grave #1 is on the north end of each lot.

In 1904 the township had a wrought iron fence installed that ran the entire length of the front of the cemetery (317 feet). Purchased for the price of $207.67 it had a ten-foot wide church gate, a nine-foot wide drive gate, and a four-foot wide walk gate. Despite being painted every two years, the condition of the fence eventually deteriorated and it was taken down. The current aluminum fence was erected in November of 1994 at the cost of $9500.*

* – info from The Story of Litchfield, Ohio: 1831-1997 by Litchfield Historical Society (pg. 43).

LOT NUMBERING SYSTEM

The numbering system currently in use for the lots was instituted sometime after this last addition. What is told here is known from the map done by the WPA for this cemetery and sexton’s records. Starting with the lot in the northwest corner of the Old West Section, the cemetery lots were numbered running south, then proceeding back north with the next row, then south again to the road where it ends with Lot 69. From there the numbering continues with the first lot on the opposite side of the middle driveway (Lot 70) and proceeds to the north end of that row. This pattern of numbering by alternating south and north directions continues as you move eastward through the center section except that it does not include the Old Center Section. The numbering ends with Lot 203 in the northeast corner of the New Center Section. From here it crosses the east driveway and starts again with Lot 204 and moves south. As in the New Center Section, the numbering reverses direction with each row but only continues so far south as to include the lots added to the east section in the last purchase (most of what is known as the New East Section). The numbering originally ended with Lot 267 in the northeast corner of the cemetery.

The numbering from there on becomes a little more uncertain. What follows next is as depicted in the WPA map from the cemetery which was done circa 1940:

From here the numbering starts again with Lot 268 in the northeast corner of the original two purchases. It continues south to the road and then, like before, alternates north and south with each row thereafter, this time moving west through the remainder of the east section and ending with Lot 395. Continuing on the opposite side of the east driveway with Lot 396, the numbering continues with the south-north alternating pattern all the way west through the remainder of the center section; ending with Lot 592.

It is not clear how much the numbering described in italics above was ever actually used. Sexton’s records make virtually no reference to it and it survives today only on the WPA map. It is probable that whatever records existed for the older sections in the front of the cemetery were lost. Given that the lot layout was still known, it seems more likely that the older sections were never numbered prior. It would make sense also that the older sections would have been numbered at the same time the other additions were numbered. What doesn’t make sense is why the numbering for the New East, New Center, and Old West sections survived intact while the numbering for the Old East and Old Center sections disappeared almost entirely from records. Another question that is raised is why the westernmost row in the Old Center section (lots numbered 70 through 83) is included in the known numbering system while the other five rows are not. Perhaps this leads into the explanation for the discrepancies with the spacing of the rows in that area.

The WPA map does not show the last two rows in the New East Section. Where their numbering jumps to the Old East Section after the eighth row is completed, sexton’s records continue the existing numbering for those last two rows. This creates a numbering conflict where lot numbers 268-283 are used twice. In addition, the area of the New East Section where the vault is located (technically part of the Old East Section and numbered as such) has been assigned various lot numbers in sexton’s records that differ almost entirely from the WPA numbering. Given that no other lot numbering system is available, the WPA’s lot numbers for the Old East and Old Center Sections have been used in the cemetery listings found here. Where lots have been assigned multiple numbers (sexton’s records vs. WPA), sexton’s records hold precedence but the WPA number will be mentioned for reference.

NEW WEST SECTION

The next purchase consisted of what is now both areas of the New West Section. This fourth addition was two acres in size and purchased by the township of Litchfield from Hal E. & Ruth Leach on September 24, 1945 for the sum of ten dollars as recorded in Volume 161, page 525 of the Medina County Land Records:

“…and being a parcel of land located in Lot 36 of said township, bounded and described as follows: Beginning at the center of Litchfield, thence South 87° 45’ East a distance of 1163.38 feet to the place of beginning of this description; thence continuing South 87° 45’ East a distance of 198.00 feet to a point; thence North 3° 21’ East a distance of 441.38 feet to a point, said point being the northwest corner of the existing cemetery; thence north 87° 28’ West a distance of 198.00 feet to an iron pin; thence south 3° 21’ west a distance of 442.36 feet to the place of beginning, and containing within said boundaries 2.00 acres of land…..The Grantee agrees to construct and maintain a suitable fence on the North and West sides of said lands. Said fence to be of such construction to turn livestock.”

The area east of the West Driveway was laid out as eight rows of twenty-two lots and allows only flat (ground-level) headstones. Each lot is 18 feet wide by 9 feet long and contains four gravesites. Rather than continue from any existing numbering in use at the time, the lot numbering begins at the road with Lot 1 and continues to the north end of the row, ending with Lot 22. Unlike the previous numbering method, the numbering does not double back to the south but starts back at the road with Lot 23 and again goes north. This proceeds with each contiguous row moving west through the remainder of this section and ending with Lot 176. Grave #1 is on the north end of each lot. Additional lots would be added to the north end of this section later.

The area west of the West Driveway was also laid out as eight rows of twenty-two lots. Two exceptions exist in the southwest corner where one lot from each row was eliminated from the plan. Lots in the westernmost row measure 18 feet wide by 15 ½ feet long while the lots in the other rows are 18 feet by 11 feet. All lots are setup for four gravesites. Numbering of lots continues where the opposite side left off and starts with Lot 177 being the southernmost lot in the east row. The numbering continues north, ending up with Lot 198, before resuming back at the south end of the next row. This proceeds with each contiguous row moving west through the remainder of the section and ending with Lot 350. Grave #1 is on the north end of each lot. Additional lots would be added to the north end of this section later. This area was officially opened for use in 2008.

The township of Litchfield purchased another piece of land from Hal E. & Ruth Leach on March 8, 1949; also for the sum of ten dollars. This narrow strip of land, being 0.26 acres in size, runs along the north end of the entire existing cemetery. This transaction is recorded in Volume 183, page 338 of the Medina County Land Records:

“…and being the southwest part of Lot 36, bounded and described as follows: Beginning at a stone monument called the center of Litchfield, thence S. 89 deg. 45 min. E. a distance of 1163.38 ft. to a point in the center line of S.H. 291 and the southwest corner of Lot 36, said point being marked by an iron pin found N. 3 deg. 21 min. E. a distance of 30 feet; thence N. 3 deg. 21 min. E. a distance of 464.46 ft., along the west line of said lot to a point marked by an iron pin; the last mentioned point being the true place of beginning of this description; thence S. 87 deg. 28 min. E. a distance of 515.76 ft. to an iron pin; thence S. 3 deg. 30 min. 30 sec. W. a distance of 22 ft. to a fence post; thence N. 87 deg. 28 min. W. a distance of 515.70 ft. to an iron pin; thence N. 3 deg. 21 min. E. a distance of 22 ft. to the place of beginning, and containing within said boundaries 0.26 acres of land…”

Following this addition, the north drive was put in on the north edge of the cemetery. This opened what had previously been the north drive for use as burial lots. These lots are essentially half the size of the other lots in their respective sections and set up for two gravesites. Numbering for these lots in the east section used the lower number of the neighboring lots and added an `R’ (except for lot 207-B). Numbering for these lots in the center section used the number of the neighboring lot to the north side and added either an `A’ or `B’.

A shed was built on the north end of the east section and this area is also used for storing excess dirt from digging graves. It was probably around this time that the original toolhouse was no longer used and those lots were then made available for use.

Additional space was also available for graves on the north end of both parts of the New West Section. An additional four-grave lot was added to each of the rows in the western half. One additional two-grave lot was added to each row on the eastern half. Numbering for these lots resumed in the northwest corner where it left off, starting with Lot 351 and moving eastward and ending with Lot 365 on the north end of the last row.

Medina County Engineer’s overhead view of strip of land added to north end (top is north)

REALIGNMENT OF WEST DRIVEWAY

A look at any of the overhead views of the cemetery shows that several of the drives are not perfectly straight. A number of issues have been created as a result; with most simply resulting in lots or rows being added or tweaked. The West Drive, as it currently sits, encroaches on the lots of the easternmost row in the western half of the New West Section. No burials have been made in those lots; none have even been sold yet. Conversely, on the opposite side of the driveway, there is visibly extra room before the headstones for that row. The township has a plan to straighten the West Drive by moving the northern end of it further to the east. Once completed, this will open up the previously encroached row for lot sales and burials.

Medina County Engineer’s overhead view of Litchfield Cemetery (Sections F and G – top is north)

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

The last significant purchase was also the largest yet, being 7.5386 acres, purchased by the Litchfield Township Board of Trustees from Stanley R. and Marjorie F. Barth on December 30, 1996 for the sum of $28,000 as recorded in Volume 1264, page 952 of the Medina County Land Records:

“Situated in the Township of Litchfield, County of Medina, State of Ohio and known as being a part of Township Lots 36, 37, 38 and 39, and Litchfield Center plat N.E. part of small lots 7 & 17, further bound and described as follows:

Beginning at a stone found in the center of Litchfield, the same being the centerline intersection of Norwalk Road (S.R. 18) with Avon Lake Road (S.R. 83); thence N 89° 56’ 30” E, 1133.38 feet along the centerline of Norwalk Road (S.R. 18) to a point therein; thence N 01° 05’ 37” E, 30.01 feet to a point in the south line of said Lot 37 and the principal place of beginning of the parcel described herein; thence continuing N 01° 05’ 37” E, 434.59 feet along the east line of land, now or formerly, in the name of Paul M. and Joyce O. Stratton to an iron pin set at the northeast corner thereof and having passed through an iron pin set at 10.00 feet; thence N 89° 48’ 16” W, 374.63 feet along said Stratton north line to the northwest corner thereof as witnessed by an iron pin found 1.80 feet north and 2.85 feet east; thence N 00° 34’ 25” E, 405.67 feet to an iron pin found marking the southwest corner of land, now or formerly, in the name of Stanley R. and Marjorie F. Barth; thence N 86° 07’ 34” E, 644.05 feet to an iron pin set; thence S 21° 00’ 23” E, 484.13 feet to an iron pin set in the north line of land, now or formerly, in the name of the Township of Litchfield; thence N 89° 48’ 16” W, 415.56 feet along said Township of Litchfield north line to the northwest corner thereof as witnessed by an iron pin found 1.60 feet east; thence S 01° 05’ 37” W, 434.46 feet along said Township of Litchfield west line to a point in the south line of said Lot 37 and having passed through an iron pin set 10.00 feet therefrom; thence S 89° 56’ 30” W, 30.00 feet along the south line of said Lot 37 to the principal place of beginning and containing 7.5386 acres of land….”

This huge addition, which is situated behind the current cemetery to the north and west, more than doubles the size of the cemetery and will provide space for burials well into the future.

Medina County Engineer’s overhead view of Litchfield Cemetery (future development – top is north)

A SLIVER OF LAND

One last, very minor addition was added running along the eastern boundary and extending almost the entire length of the east sections of the cemetery. This sliver of land is triangular in shape, coming to a narrow point at the north end and becoming wider as you reach the south edge by the road. This small piece of land was actually already contained within the fenceline of the cemetery but was not actually owned by the Township.

Measuring as a mere 0.0402 acre it was sold by Helene M. Fratz to the Litchfield Township Board of Trustees for the sum of ten dollars on February 14, 2002 as recorded in Doc# 2002OR006494:

“Situated in the State of Ohio, County of Medina, Township of Litchfield, being part of Lot 36 in said Township, and also known as being a part of a parcel of land transferred Feb. 4, 2002 to Helene M. Fratz recorded in Doc# 2002OR004600 of Medina County Recorders records, and more fully described as follows:

Commencing for Reference at a granite stone at the center of Litchfield circle; thence North 87° 03’ 50” East along the centerline of S.R. 18 Norwalk Road S.H. 291 as recorded in Plat Book 6, page 73 of Medina County Plat Records, a distance of 1163.38’ to a point 30 feet southerly from the southwest corner of Litchfield Township Lot 36; thence continuing North 87° 03’ 50” East along said centerline and along a line tangent to the centerline, passing over a P.C. monument found at 185.97’, a distance of 410.97’ to a P.I. monument found; thence North 86° 45’ 50” East, along a line tangent to the centerline, a distance of 103.60’ to a point; thence North 01° 37’ 01” West a distance of 30.10’ to a 5/8” bar set at a point 30.00’ northerly from and radial to the centerline of S.R. 18, also being the southeast corner of Litchfield Cemetery and in the south line of township Lot 36, AND THE TRUE PLACE OF BEGINNING OF THE PARCEL HEREIN TO BE DESCRIBED; thence continuing North 01° 37’ 01” West, along the east line of Litchfield Cemetery, passing over a 5/8” bar set at 15.01’ a distance of 381.05’ to a 5/8” bar set; thence North 86° 45’ 50” East a distance of 0.89’ to a 5/8” bar set; thence South 02° 43’ 50” East, parallel to the east line of the aforementioned Helen Fratz parcel a distance of 380.92’ to a 5/8” rebar set 30’ radial from the centerline of S.R. 18 and in the south line of township Lot 36; thence southwesterly along a line 30’ northerly from and parallel to the centerline of S.R. 18, following a curve to the right with a central angle of 00° 00’ 20”, a radius of 85, 913.669’, an arc distance of 8.30’, a tangent distance of 4.15’, and a chord bearing South 86° 50’ 30” West a distance of 8.30’ to the place of beginning.

Said parcel contains 0.0402 Acre of land, more or less…”

Medina County Engineer’s overhead view of sliver of land added to eastern boundary (top is north)

CEMETERY RECORDS

The township has no original records for the Old East and Old Center sections. Layout and numbering information for those areas was taken from the WPA map.

The township has a ledger in which it has kept a list of every burial made in either this cemetery or Crow Corners since 1909. Not all of the burials give locations (lot #) and individual grave assignments are sporadically mentioned.

Maps were drawn up for each of the sections in the cemetery (except the Old East and Old Center). Names and lot owners are written onto these maps although individual graves aren’t marked off for most of them. Where this is the case, grave assignments for the burial listings here are usually based on the positions of the names as written on the maps.

When lots are split and sold as halves, the two gravesites in the north half of each lot are labeled as B; with the two in the southern half being labeled as A. Individual gravesites in each respective half are then labeled either N (for the north grave) or S (for the south grave). This labeling has not replaced the original numbering of the gravesites but has been used as an additional means of reference in the newer sections. For example:

B-N	B-S	A-N	A-S
Grave 1	Grave 2	Grave 3	Grave 4

Prior to 2011 the sections had been labeled using various terms such as old/new or directions like east, west, etc. The duplication of lot numbers in different sections of the cemetery created some points of confusion when referring to lots. A list of lot owners in sexton’s records separates the lots by old and new. To eliminate more confusion with any future additions to the cemetery, it was suggested to and agreed upon by the trustees that the sections would be lettered. Letters were assigned to the existing sections and future layouts will continue with this system; independent of any lot numbering used.

Township records viewed were current through December of 2010; some information obtained afterwards has been included.

The burial listings for this cemetery were compiled from reading the tombstones, obituaries, death records, and supplemented by the township records.

WPA MAP

A map for this cemetery was done by the WPA (circa 1940). The map does not show the New West Section or the current north drive as they did not exist at the time. While the map does show the overall layout and numbering system used in the sexton’s records, there are a number of notable errors and discrepancies. The numbering variations have been described earlier. In addition to these, there are a few errors in the numbering as well. The Old East Section is missing the southernmost lot in each row. These lots, numbered 283, 284, 315, 316, 347, 348, 379, and 380, are simply not shown although their place is still indicated in the numbering sequence. The Leach Vault is shown occupying Lots 141 and 154 when, in fact, it sits on Lots 154 and 157. The Hamman vault is shown occupying two lots instead of one. Several of the veteran grave locations are also erroneous.

Interestingly the WPA map does not show the receiving vault or the old toolhouse.

THE OLD MAP

An old cemetery map can be found in township records. This map predates 1945 as it does not show the additions made to the cemetery during that year. It does not show the two additional rows in the New East Section and shows the old north drives still open. For whatever reason, there is a clear breakdown with regards to the consistency of the records and lot numbering in the east section of the cemetery; mostly the New East Section in the receiving vault/toolhouse area. When comparing the WPA map, this map, and the current sexton’s records you will find as many as three different lot numbers in use. The WPA numbering system is the only one which follows a clear and distinct pattern while the variations in township records don’t always make sense. Regardless, the lot numbering system used by the township currently is the accepted version.

The old map in township records shows the same general layout as the WPA map – including some of the mistakes. It does not have the Old East or Old Center section numbered. It is the only map that shows where the old toolhouse was but does not accurately depict the area occupied by the receiving vault. While the map does show lot owners for the New East, New Center, and Old West sections, it also appears to show lot owners for the Old East and Old Center Sections. Nice as this would be, it appears that the names for these two sections were pulled not from records of lot sales but almost entirely from the existing tombstones; with a few written in later. Lots without headstones are almost always left blank and several names are misspelled or listed incorrectly. Finally, when you attempt to plot the headstones onto a map using these `lot owners’ you find that they don’t line up in several areas. While some of the names do fit and are undoubtedly correct, others are clearly out of order, backwards, or crammed together too closely to fit the layout correctly. There are a select few that seem to offer an insight; this map was done in the early 1900’s so perhaps the names were added based on knowledge of a few burials made during that period. Given the numerous mistakes – and the dubious origin of the `lot owners’ for those areas – this map has been mostly ignored in organizing the burial listings here. A methodic walkoff of these two sections was done and the headstones assigned to lots using the known layout.

Perhaps this map was done by Henry Rising who is known to have been appointed the first cemetery sexton in 1913 according to The Story of Litchfield, Ohio 1831-1997 by the Litchfield Historical Society (pg. 43).

CEMETERY AND PARK ASSOCIATION*

While the primary care of the cemetery is the responsibility of the township trustees and the sexton, the Cemetery and Park Association has done its share to keep the cemetery looking its best. Since its first meeting on March 29, 1900, the group has undertaken a number of projects including the digging of a well in the cemetery and placing the granite monument in the front of the cemetery that reads “Litchfield Burial Park”.

* – information found in The Story of Litchfield, Ohio 1831-1997 by the Litchfield Historical Society (pg. 68).