Greenwood Cemetery

Greenwood Cemetery

Greenwood Cemetery was set apart as a burying ground in 1859. The first burial, John McLaughlin, was in 1862. Prior to the opening of Greenwood Cemetery, the "Davis Burying Ground," located near the Sullivan coal mines, had been used as a graveyard since 1810. After the establishment of Greenwood Cemetery, many of the dead buried in the old graveyard were removed there. The original grounds only consisted of four acres, but at present there are 31 acres.

Greenwood Cemetery is only about a half-mile from the city and is beautifully located. The property originally consisted of but four acres that was purchased for $800.00. The first officers were: President, James Nicoll; clerk, E.G. Morgan; treasurer, Alex Hammond; trustees, B.R. Cowen, Joseph McMurray, R.H. Long, George Criswell and John Hattery.

From around the turn of the century until the early Thirties, Decoration Day services were held in the old pavilion. A brass band played and it was quite a celebration, with large crowds coming in from town to the beautiful hilltop.

(Taken from the souvenir program from Bellaire's Ohio Bicentennial Celebration's Cemetery Walks Through Greenwood Cemetery - August 16, 2003)