National Register of Historic Places

Columbia Baptist Cemetery

Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio
Listed
August 23, 1979
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
79002709

About this property

The Pioneer Memorial Cemetery (also known as Columbia Baptist Church Cemetery) is a historic pioneer cemetery in the Columbia-Tusculum neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It is located on a small hill overlooking Lunken Airport at 333 Wilmer Avenue on Cincinnati's east side. The oldest cemetery in Hamilton County, it lies at the site of Columbia Baptist Church, founded in 1790. Columbia is the oldest settlement in Hamilton County, as it was founded in 1788, one month before Losantiville (later Cincinnati). The cemetery is the only extant remnant of the Columbia settlement. Included in this cemetery is the grave of Major Benjamin Stites, 1734–1804, founding father of Columbia. The fellow founder of Columbia and pioneer, soldier, and legislator Ephraim Kibbey (1756–1809) is memorialized here on the monument "To the First Boat-load" erected in 1879. Frederick L. Payne, then Supervising Horticulturalist for the Park Board, began a restoration project in 1967 for the cemetery. The cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under its historic name of "Columbia Baptist Cemetery". Since 1958, the Pioneer Cemetery has been known as an archaeological site — in that year, evidence was discovered that the terrace upon which the cemetery lies was once a Native American village site. Due to the presence of the cemetery, no excavation has ever been conducted there; consequently, all that is known about the village is that it was inhabited during the Woodland period. The Cincinnati Parks Department maintains the property.

Location

Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio
39.10626, -84.42912

Categories

SOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Nearby Historic Sites

Fulton-Presbyterian Cemetery
Listed
0.2 mi
Robb, L. B., Drugstore
Industrial
0.2 mi
Clauder's Pharmacy
Industrial
0.2 mi
Kestler Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
Mardot Antique Shop
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Morgan's Raid – Southgate and Newport, Ohio Crossing
1863Civil War
3.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Columbia Baptist Cemetery listed on the National Register?

Columbia Baptist Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 23, 1979.

What type of historic resource is Columbia Baptist Cemetery?

Columbia Baptist Cemetery is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Columbia Baptist Cemetery?

The period of significance for Columbia Baptist Cemetery is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Columbia Baptist Cemetery?

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