This significant cemetery, historically named Mt. Woods Cemetery, is the focus of renewed interest in Wheeling. Over the past two years, WHNAC Historian Bekah Karelis has been leading a group of volunteers in resetting and cleaning markers, documenting the locations of graves, and researching the lives of many who have their final resting place there. Donated funds have paid for the resetting of several large monuments, and the cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. Below is an adaptation of the National Register Nomination information prepared by Bekah.

 

Location and Setting

Located on what is known as “Wheeling Hill,” Mt. Woods Cemetery lies northeast of the city, off Rt. 40 (National Road) on Mt. Wood Road.  Incorporated in 1848, it is the oldest, extant cemetery in the city of Wheeling.  Until the time of Mt Woods’ incorporation, the Hempfield cemetery in downtown Wheeling was the usual place for local citizens to be buried.  Crowded conditions, in addition to the property being eyed by the Hempfield railroad for expansion, inspired locals to look for a new burial ground.  The location chosen, on Wheeling Hill, is also the vicinity of McColloch’s famed leap and served as the original Woods family burial ground. 

 

Mt. Woods Cemetery opened in 1848 as a private burial ground.  It was built in the “rural cemetery” style that was popular throughout the mid to late nineteenth century.   Cemeteries designed with this plan incorporate the natural beauty of the landscape with carefully planned lots and a park-like setting. 

 

Mt. Woods Cemetery consists of one contributing site, the cemetery.  Also included within the boundaries are 12 contributing structures (1 gate, 10 family mausoleums and one arch). The property contains approximately 14 acres. It is bounded to the North by a steep hollow, “Jonathan’s Ravine,” to the West by Woods Street, and to the South by Mt. Wood Road.  The eastern boundary is bordered by private property.  The city-owned portion of the cemetery is adjacent to the Hebrew and Orthodox Jewish portion, which is owned by Temple Shalom, Wheeling.  This portion of the cemetery is located to the west of the main cemetery road with no definitive architectural features to define the boundaries.  This portion is located on the lower hillside with very steep terrain and many retaining walls.   

 

Headstones and Monuments

The cemetery plots, originally numbering 1075, were laid out to conform to the contour of the landscape.  While the cemetery includes numerous simple headstones and grave markers, it also displays high-style classical and Victorian markers and monuments.

 

Section A was probably considered the “prime” section as it is located at the summit of the hill.  It is here that many of the more notable individuals are buried and some of the larger and more prominent obelisks and markers stand.  Among the many monuments are imposing obelisks for Hullihen and McLure families, more modest obelisks of Alfred Caldwell, Edward M. Norton, William P. Wilson, and one particularly weathered marble obelisk belonging to the Luke family. 

 

Throughout the cemetery are many older grave markers, made of slate or limestone, that predate the cemetery’s establishment.  Some are intricately carved, and others are absent of decoration.  There are several graves that were relocated here after the closing of the Hempfield, Chapline and East Wheeling cemeteries in the mid-late 1800s.  The oldest stone is dated March 22, 1817.

 

Captain John McLure’s white bronze monument is one of the tallest obelisks in the cemetery and is located in Section A.  After being struck by a falling tree limb, the top section was knocked onto the ground next to the base.  This hollow-metal marker is a bluish-gray color, earning it its “white bronze” name.  This type of marker was popular during the 1870s-1915 and is composed of cast zinc.  There are a few other smaller white bronze obelisks found in other sections of this cemetery. 

 

At the highest point of the hill is the obelisk of Dr. Simon P. Hullihen.  On it is written: “Eminent as a surgeon the wide fame of his bold original genius was everywhere blended with gratitude for his benefactions.  Erected by the citizens of Wheeling in memory of one who had so lived among them that they mourned his death as a public calamity.  Nothing perishes of that which makes his life memorable and his death lamented. His soul was affectionate sincere generous intrepid and full of noble impulses.”

 

Other headstones include flush bronze markers and marble stones marking the graves of veterans of wars, some table top monuments, like those found at the Woods family plot, and tablets.  The cemetery is a mix of tombstone forms and styles.  Most markers are granite, limestone, or marble.

 

Symbolic motifs are also varied with both religious and secular elements.  Many of the gravestones are adorned with draped urns, the traditional symbol of sorrow and mourning.  Other art found on the headstones are scrolls, stars, tree trunks, oaks, lilies of the valley, and weeping willows, to name only a few. Egyptian influence is demonstrated by the obelisks both large and small found throughout the cemetery.  There are also many stately Victorian style markers from the late 1800s.

 

Structures

Entrance Gate - 1 contributing structure

There is only one vehicular and pedestrian gate into the cemetery. It is located on the southern boundary, along Mt. Wood Road. Louis Bertschy had the entrance gate reconstructed at his expense during the 1920s. A bronze plaque affixed to the gate reads, “Mt Wood Cemetery Founded 1848 Pathway to McCulloch’s Leap on Sept. 3rd, 1777.”  The gate is approximately 10 feet tall at the tallest point and constructed of gold colored brick, capped with concrete tops and ornate balls.  The gates were made of wrought iron, with some sections currently missing.  

 

Mausoleums & Arch - 10 contributing structures & 1 object

There are ten mausoleums located in Mt Wood cemetery and one arch structure denoting a gravesite.  The Forbes (1889) and Scott (1890s) mausoleums are on the right, near the cemetery gates, in Section C. 

 

The Cotts mausoleum was possibly the first constructed (1863). John L. Hobbs’ mausoleum  is a little up the hill from the road as you proceed into the cemetery, and it was built sometime during the 1870s.  These are both tumuli vaults, being mostly buried in the hillside with only the front façade and doorway showing. They are in the classical style with Gothic embellishments and are located in Section B.

 

The Bishop/Robb mausoleum was built during the 1860s and is located in Section H, below the road.  Constructed of sandstone, it has a castellated parapet wall at the cornice.  

 

According to a newspaper account during the early 1900s, John L. Hobbs, John Bishop, General Shriver, and Samuel Ott had mausoleums, though according to present records, Ott and Shriver were buried elsewhere, the family plots being sold to other families. 

 

Next are the Pracht (1893), Bradford and Fleming mausoleums on the right, also in Section B. The Bradford mausoleum is located on property formerly labeled Ott, and the Pracht mausoleum is formerly labeled as owned by Shriver.  Whether these were mausoleums where the Ott and Shriver families were actually buried is unknown.  They may have just owned the plots and later sold them to the Bradford and Pracht families. 

 

There are two mausoleums located at the summit of Mt. Wood, in Section A, that belonged to the List family; one, belonging to Captain John List and the other D.C. List.  Both mausoleums were emptied, and the remains were reinterred in Greenwood cemetery.  D.C. List’s mausoleum was given to the Home for Aged Men in Warwood for their burials. 

 

Landscape - contributing site

The landscape of Mt Woods Cemetery reflects the rural cemetery movement.  The cemetery is situated on a mountaintop and ridge overlooking the city of Wheeling.  The road through the cemetery does not form a symmetrical pattern, but meanders along the contour of the mountainside until reaching and circling the summit.  There are several concrete walkways throughout the cemetery.

 

Like most parks, Mt. Woods Cemetery is a rolling cemetery, with many old trees, mostly oaks.  The grounds are clear of shrubbery, though there are a few bushes dotting the landscape. 

 

Summary

Mt. Woods Cemetery retains integrity in all aspects: location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association.  The road and path system remains unchanged from the original design. The cemetery is filled with large and stately trees that date from the 1930s plantings or earlier.  The City of Wheeling maintains the grounds of the Christian section on a regular basis, and the Temple Shalom congregation maintains the Jewish section. While many of the gravestones and mausoleums need to be repaired, they are mostly intact. The cemetery’s major significance is in its rural cemetery movement connection, and as such, it remains one of the most beautiful spots in Wheeling.

 

The period of significance begins with its first interment in 1848 and ends in 1962, a point fifty years before the present.  As with most cemeteries, it started as a family plot and was developed into a popular resting-place during the mid-1800s for many of Wheeling’s affluent and working class families.

 

Narrative Statement of Significance

Legend has it that on the hilltop where Mt. Woods Cemetery is located, Ebenezer Zane paused to declare the would-be Wheeling area, “the land of promise” for which he had been searching.  Legend also tells that over this hill Major Sam McColloch thundered on his daring and famous “leap” to escape the Indians’ chase. 

 

The land on which Mt. Woods Cemetery lies was originally deeded to Jonathan Zane, the brother of Ebenezer Zane, and could perhaps be the reason why the ravine bordering the northern cemetery boundary is named “Jonathan’s Ravine.” Until the time of Mt. Wood’s incorporation, the Hempfield cemetery in downtown Wheeling was the usual place for burial of local citizens.  Crowded conditions, in addition to the property being eyed by the Hempfield railroad for expansion, inspired locals to look for a new burial ground. The men who founded the cemetery and signed the application for incorporation were Thomas Sweeney, Moses C. Good, Henry Moore, Neil McNaughten, Morgan Nelson, Alfred Caldwell, and J.M. Bushfield.  The land was surveyed in May 1848 by Robert C. Woods and submitted to the County Clerk of Ohio County, Virginia, that month.  John McLure was President and Alfred Caldwell, Secretary of the board of trustees of the Mount Woods Cemetery Company. 

 

The original layout was spread over 14 acres and was acquired by Benjamin B. McMechen in 1848.  In the county deed books, McMechen was selling Mt. Woods cemetery lots until the 1880s on behalf of the Mt. Woods Cemetery Association. The roads were designed to be 12 feet wide, as they are found today.  Also, a special 100 X 100 foot section, called “Oddfellows Square,” was to be specifically devoted to that organization’s members.  In total, the cemetery had 8 sections, A-H, for a total of 1075 plots.

Due to its pastoral nature and a fabulous view of Wheeling and the surrounding valleys, the cemetery quickly became popular as a place of interment, as well as a place to visit.  Lots were purchased not only by Wheeling residents but also by those people in the surrounding regions.  It is the only spot in Wheeling where you can see both the Ohio River Valley and the Wheeling Creek Valley.

 

A newspaper article describes the cemetery:

“To the south of you lies the city of Wheeling; to the right ‘dragging its slow length along’ until it at length empties itself into the lap of the mighty Father of Waters.  Standing there you can faintly hear the city bells as they ring out their glad summons to the worshippers, and it is hard to express the intensity of the solemn and devotional effect they produce on your feelings.  If you wish to find ‘sermons in stone’ we would advise a visit to Mount Wood Cemetery.  The surrounding beauty and quiet solemnity of the place will serve to open up cherished memories and associations that have remained for many years isolated sacrifices to the cold charities and practical requirements of actual life.” (May 21, 1866)

 

Its popularity as a burial ground continued until Greenwood Cemetery was established “out the Pike” some 20 years later.  At some point during the mid-late 1800s, the cemetery expanded, adding approximately 965 plots in sections I – P.  The small section of main road just inside the entrance was turned into plots and moved a short distance west.  Also added, and never mapped, is what is referred to as “Campbell’s Addition” on the Eastern side of the cemetery, flanking C & D.  No dates have been discovered as to when these expansions occurred, but the earliest burials found within these sections also date from the mid-late 1800s. 

 

Jonathan’s Ravine is located along the northern edge of the cemetery, and it was here that the hangings in Wheeling and Ohio County took place. Mt. Woods Cemetery, with its steep slope, served as a side of a natural amphitheater where people would gather to watch the criminals meet their fate. 

 

Architecture

It is unknown when the current entrance gate was constructed.  A newspaper article documented the gate’s restoration in the 1920s by Louis Bertschy. 

There are several mausoleums within the Mt. Woods Cemetery grounds.  Two are tumulus styles, being mostly underground with only the front façade visible.  As of an 1879 account, there were seven mausoleums in the cemetery.  They were as follows:

• One built by Isaac Cotts in 1863 in which he, his family and a few family friends were buried lies south of the road in the hillside. (Section B)

• Next, a tumulus style vault that sits just east of the road was owned by John L. Hobbs. (Section B)

• The next mausoleum was situated along the northern side of the road and belonged to John Bishop and family.  Bishop’s mausoleum was constructed during the 1850s. (Section H)

• The next was close to the road and belonged to General Shriver. (Section B)

• Then is a vault owned by the Ott family, erected by Samuel Ott. (Section B)

• 6 & 7. Finally, upon the summit, two vaults belonging to the List family are found, though their remains would be disinterred and moved to Greenwood Cemetery. By May of 1927, the List family was gone from Mt. Woods. The D.C. List vault was turned over to the Warwood Home for Aged Men in the 1920s.  There are nine bodies buried there, the last being interred in 1960, and the vault was bricked-up in the 1990s after a last encounter with vandalism. (Section A)

 

Two more vaults were added sometime after 1879, just east inside the entrance gate, in Section I.  Those vaults belonged to the Forbes and Scott families.   The Forbes mausoleum was built in 1889; it is a plain style, constructed of limestone, with large slabs of stone for a roof.   The Scott mausoleum is right next to Forbes, and it is more decorative, featuring a quatrefoil above an arched doorway. 

Bishop’s mausoleum resembles a small, square castle with a short turret at the roofline and marble shields at each corner bearing the names of those buried within. The Pracht mausoleum is probably the most ornate and has both classical and renaissance style characteristics, with columns, fancy stonework and a wrought iron gate.  It was constructed in 1893. The Bradford mausoleum is constructed of brick with sandstone quoins.  The roofline is decorated with pressed metal, and a floor of decorative tile serves as the front stoop.  The best example of the classical revival style in the cemetery’s mausoleums is the former D.C. List/Warwood Home for Aged Men mausoleum.  It is masonry, with a smooth front and three beautifully carved pilasters, topped with Ionic capitals. An urn formerly graced the peak of a curvilinear roofline. 

Another mausoleum was added in section B, near the former Ott and Shriver plots.  The Fleming mausoleum next to that also has a quatrefoil above an arched doorway.  There are a total of 10 mausoleums standing in the cemetery today.  Also of note, there is a large masonry arch erected at the grave of Henrietta Rosenberg in Section G.

 

The caretaker’s house was on the west Side of Mt. Wood Road; it was not located within the historic boundaries of the cemetery.  It needed extensive renovations in 1927, as noted in an Intelligencer newspaper article. It would later fall into such disrepair that it had to be demolished. After that time, the cemetery sextons would live nearby but not in a specific sexton’s house. 

Sections J, K, L, M, N, O, & P, the lower sections on the western hillside, provided almost an additional 1,000 plots for sale when they were added, but less than half were conveyed.  The majority of these sections are wooded.

 

An extensive case of vandalism occurred in the cemetery on March 27, 1974.  Repairs were made, but conversations started about the city taking over the cemetery.  The remaining funds within the Association’s coffers were not enough to pay the yearly salary required to maintain a sexton; the last sexton worked in 1975.  Due to the aging Mt. Woods Cemetery Association members and the lack of people able to join the Association’s board, the cemetery was turned over to the City of Wheeling.  Once under the City’s care, plans were made to “restore” the cemetery with the remaining association funds of about $40,000. 

 

The Orthodox/Jewish Section

Wheeling’s Jewish population dates back to the 1840s, during a huge wave of immigration from Germany to the United States at that time. At first, services were held informally in the homes of a dozen or so Jewish families in Wheeling. A formal congregation was formed in the spring of 1849 – the same year that the Suspension Bridge was built in Wheeling. Early members included Samuel Kline, Meyer Heyman, Alex Heyman, Julius Ballenberg, Max Graff, Isaac Horkheimer, Meyer Stein, Simon Stein, Seligman Oppenheimer, and S.S. Bloch. In later years, they were joined by Milton and Phillip Hanauer and L.S. Good.

 

Mayer Mannheim, an itinerant rabbi, arrived in Wheeling in April 1849, performed Sabbath services, and then suddenly died. Thus, the first order of business of the new congregation was to establish a Jewish cemetery. A section of Mt. Woods Cemetery was purchased, and Rabbi Mannheim was interred. Temple Shalom maintains this portion of the cemetery.

 

Rural Cemetery Movement

Mt. Woods Cemetery was planned during the rural cemetery movement of the 1840s.  Up until that time, cemeteries were usually in a town setting next to or near the church where parishioners were buried. The rural romantic cemeteries were developed away from churches and often outside of city limits, usually at a site with a unique physical feature, existing woods, and of course, an impressive view of the surrounding areas.  Mt. Woods Cemetery had both existing woods and a very impressive view. 

 

Gracefully curving roads and pathways adapted to the cemetery’s hilltop landscape.  “Planned as serene and spacious grounds where the combination of nature and monuments would be spiritually uplifting, they came to be looked on as public parks, places of respite and recreation acclaimed for their beauty and usefulness to society.”  There are four design types of the rural romantic movement; the rugged landscape, combined with the rustic character places Mt. Woods in the “picturesque” category.

 

In 1866, a newspaper article describes the landscape: “The flowers are beginning to bloom beautifully and the shrubbery is showing forth its sweetest livery of green. In the evening, when the sun has gone down, and when the air is cool and pleasant, you can wander amid the tombs of Mt Wood Cemetery and examine the monuments which mark the spot where different bodies are interred, or you can stand in the grounds and obtain a most excellent landscape view.”

 

In 1933, in cooperation with Oglebay Park, 110 oaks were planted around the cemetery grounds, and 300 feet of steps were built from Wood Street in North Wheeling into the cemetery.  A trail was also constructed for people to walk around the perimeter of the cemetery. The R.F.C. workmen did the work.  They also painted the cemetery flag pole and topped trees. Former gardeners did sodding, planting and pruning, and three crews of experienced carpenters constructed a “rustic” railing along the walkways.