Greenlawn Abbey

(Located In Columbus Ohio)

(If you wish to visit this location take care to preserve and keep the area clear, if you wish to help in restoration and preservation of this historic site visit this website  www.GreenLawnAbbey.com)

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Ok here we have Greenlawn Abbey, This is not part of Greenlawn Cemetery even though it is located outside its front gates. This was our first location we visited, our only equipment was a few digital cameras. We snapped a lot of pictures of this beautiful building. I can't post all of them due to our space limits, but I will post a few. Underneath the pictures I will also place a full history of the building. Due to lack of equipment on our first visit all we have is a few snapshots and our personal experiences.

 

These Photos are not edited in anyway. The only thing we caught out of these pictures was an orb in a photo with myself in it. It was very humid and could easily be condensation. We now have more equipment and plan on revisiting this site. Hopefully the area will be clean unlike last time. We will bring trash bags just in case. Remember areas like this everyone should do there part in the upkeep and preservation. So please do not liter or drive in the grass.

Taken From Greenlawn Abbeys Preservation page.

Green Lawn Abbey is a grand structure built in 1927 by the Columbus Mausoleum Company.  It was the finest and largest in the area with room for 654 interments.  The Columbus Mausoleum Company built numerous other mausoleums in the surrounding area but Green Lawn Abbey was its largest and finest creation, undoubtedly their showpiece.
Built to last an eternity with 1˝“ thick granite walls, marble interior and an imported tile roof, the Abbey was built to inspire awe.  Marble fireplaces, stained glass windows and various religious statues adorn this beautiful final resting place of many notable figures in Ohio and local history.
One of the most famous residents of the Abbey is Howard Thurston, a world-famous, world-class magician born in Columbus in 1869.  Thurston made a pact with close friends that he would try to communicate with them from his grave on the one year anniversary of his death.  He was interred at the Abbey in 1936.  (For the full story see tab for Thurston)  Unfortunately this widely known legend has contributed significantly to the notoriety and vandalism of the beautiful Abbey.
Other notable residents include George Karb (former Franklin County police commissioner and five-time mayor of Columbus), Charles Foster Johnson (first real estate tycoon in the area), Isaac Collins (founder of Anchor Hocking), Edward Swisher (founder of cigar company that manufactures the famous Swisher Sweet), and H. R. Penney (brother of J.C. Penney of department store fame).  A special family crypt room holds members of the Lewis Sells family (the Sell’s family owned the 2nd largest traveling circus in America at the turn of the century).  Other locally prominent names include Dierdorff and Wildermuth.  Much research has to be done to reveal who else might “reside” in the Abbey.

Short Blurb From  Ohio Historic Preservation Office

Green Lawn Abbey, 700 Greenlawn Ave.
Recommended for nomination to the National Register for its local architectural significance, Green Lawn Abbey is a two-story neoclassical style mausoleum with 654 crypts. It was built by Columbus Mausoleum Company, which designed and built community mausoleums in central Ohio from 1923 to 1959. The temple-front building has a Doric portico and flanking wings, reflecting the early 20th century interest in Italian Renaissance styles, especially the work of 16th century Italian architect Andrea Palladio, who was in turn inspired by ancient Roman architecture. When it was completed in 1927, Green Lawn Abbey was central Ohio’s largest and finest privately-owned community mausoleum. It featured thick granite walls, a marble interior, stained glass windows, decorative fireplaces, marble statuary, and fine wood furniture. It is the final resting place of many central Ohio notables, including magician Howard Thurston; county police commissioner and two-time mayor of Columbus George Karb; Charles Foster Johnson, one of the area’s first real estate titans; members of the Sells family, owners of the second largest traveling circus in America; James K. Polk Barber, the county’s oldest Civil War veteran at the time he passed away; and Herbert Rice Penney, brother of J.C. Penney.