September 13, 2025

Ohio Chapter's Day of Service

Mt. Washington Cemetery

Cincinnati

Join Chapter members and Mt. Washington volunteers for a Day of Service coordinated by the Chapter's safety committee. Gather the family and friends and spend the day making memories!

Commit Today!   (click here)

Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025
Location: Mt. Washington Cemetery, 2030 Sutton Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45230
Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm (lunch provided)
Type of Work: Dead tree removals, pruning, vine removal, string trimming around headstones and plots, mowing along the fence line, general raking, etc.
Equipment Needs: Hand pruners, leaf blowers, rakes, hand saws, chipper, and chip truck
Equipment Required: Personal Protective Equipment

Established in 1855, Mt. Washington Cemetery is situated at the heart of Mt. Washington, in the shadow of its iconic water tower on Beechmont Avenue. Nearly all of the community's founders, for whom many local roads are named, are buried here: the Corbly, Sutton, Mears, Gerard, Paddison, and Kellogg families. Other luminaries, such as Buck Ewing, a National Baseball Hall of Famer regarded by many as the greatest all-around player of the 19th Century, and nature and wildlife documentary filmmaker Karl Maslowski, are buried here.

Founded in 1855 by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), the Mt. Washington Cemetery began as a 7-acre burial ground created to serve the community. True to the IOOF’s mission of charity and mutual aid, profits from the cemetery were used to support war widows and their children. However, the IOOF did not establish a perpetual maintenance fund, and when they eventually ceased operations at the site, they left behind no financial resources for its upkeep.

From 1978 to 1985, the responsibility for the cemetery’s care fell to the City of Cincinnati. Unfortunately, during that time, the cemetery received no active maintenance and fell into disrepair, becoming a neglected and blighted space within the neighborhood.

In response, a small group of dedicated neighbors founded the Mt. Washington Cemetery Association in 1985. Their mission was to preserve and maintain the historic grounds through community support. With the cemetery nearly full—home to more than 6,000 burials—the association has relied on volunteers, annual fundraising events, and a yearly letter campaign to descendants for financial support.

Over the past four decades, these efforts have transformed the cemetery into a vibrant green space. A diverse array of trees and shrubs has been planted to enhance its ecological value, creating a peaceful sanctuary for native wildlife and plants. Today, Mt. Washington Cemetery is not only well cared for—it is a nationally recognized arboretum through ArbNet, standing as a rare and inspiring example of how abandoned cemeteries can be reclaimed and revitalized through grassroots commitment and care.