Volunteer Brings Area’s Oldest Cemetery Back To Life

COLUMBUS, Ohio—The Central Ohio area’s oldest cemetery received a new welcome Friday.

The cemetery has been closed for decades now looks as good as new—thanks to the work of one man.

For the last few years, NBC 4 has covered the progress of the old Franklinton Cemetery on Souder on the city’s west side.

It was the area’s first cemetery, opened in the 1700s and closed for 100 years.

Ovegrown with weeds, the cemetery became what was known in the early 1900s as a hobo camp.

Five years ago, Gary Royer, who had no particular interest in the cemetery, started cleaning it up on his own.

A tombstone maker by trade, Royer started making new markers for Columbus’ first settlers—with names that would someday become part of the city’s heritage.

“When I look around now, I see flowers blooming where they’ve never bloomed before. There are a lot more grave stones that have been recovered that had been sunk into the ground,“ Royer said.

Royer was honored on Friday by the city for his work and the cemetery was rededicated.

There was once a church at the same location, Royer said.

“In the War of 1812, the federal government commanded the church to use to store grain in and there was a storm and part of the church was damaged and water got inside the church and made the grain expand and that blew apart the church,“ said Dr. Jerrod Burks, an archaeologist.

During his efforts, Royer also attempted to identify those buried in the cemetery, including Revolutionary and Civil War soldiers.

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