O c t o b e r 2 0 1 2 • M a r i e m o n t , O h i o • V o l u m e X X X V II , N o . 2
Don't Be Spooked! B y Seth Rosin
A
lthough some of us already know the significance of the cemetery located here in the Village, Mariemont third graders will soon discover the rich history that rests beneath its sacred ground. When we think of all the spooky myths and settings that go along with Halloween, a cemetery often sits somewhere in our minds between a haunted house and a batch of witch’s brew. As Mariemont students will soon discover, there is nothing spooky about the tranquil cemetery that sits next to the Mariemont Community Church chapel. In fact, it's one of the most significant indications not only of Mariemont’s pioneer history, but the greater Lower Little Miami Valley’s early pioneer history as well. This
Mariemont's pioneer cemetery is maintained by the Thomas J. Emery Memorial.
fall, the Mariemont Preservation Foundation’s Docent Program will visit Mariemont Elementary School to educate third graders
about the interesting people who now rest in Mariemont’s pioneer cemetery. Before Mariemont became the acclaimed “National Exemplar” planned community we know it as today, it made up only a piece of the Columbia settlement founded by
Happy Hall o we e n ! Major Benjamin Stites in 1788. About eleven years after Stites’ founding of Columbia, the portion of land that now includes Mariemont was sold to Eliphalet, Joseph, and Andrew Ferris. The Ferris brothers ultimately enjoyed success in our area and prospered (Continued on next page) T
h e
V
o i c e
o f
t h e
V
i l l a g e