City of Xenia Tree Committee and Greene County Historical Society cohost historical walk at Woodland Cemetery and Mausoleum

Featuring both the rich history of those laid to rest at Woodland Cemetery and Mausoleum. 281 Dayton Ave., Xenia as well as the urban forest that shades their final resting place, the City of Xenia Tree Committee and Greene County Historical Society will co-host an Autumn walk beginning at 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 13, at the 60-acre property.

The walk is free and open to the public; a rain date of Sunday, Oct. 20 has been scheduled.

City of Xenia Tree Committee member and certified arborist Chuck Poore as well as Greene County Historical Director Catherine Wilson will lead the walk. The guides will share the history of Xenia's earliest residents and information about the wide variety of trees that grace the property.

Woodland Cemetery was chartered in 1845 by a special act of the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, after a cholera epidemic swept through the town, making it necessary to have a larger, centrally located burial ground. Original lots were $10 apiece and internment cost $2.50. Many graves were moved after Woodland opened from smaller cemeteries around the community. Designed by landscape architect William Howard Daniels, the cemetery has four large pillars flanking the entry that were moved to the cemetery from a county courthouse that no longer stands.

Helen Hooven Santmyer describes the grounds in her famous book Ohio Town “...a labyrinth of drives winds in and out among the headstones and monuments. Here and there a weeping willow tree or a flowering shrub decorates some family lot; on and between the graves the grass grows thick and green; over all are the trees--once upon a time, chestnuts, and still maples and that great trinity: oak, ash and elm.”

In 1913, a memorial chapel was built, but torn down in 1937 and the stones used in the superintendent’s home, which now houses the cemetery office.
In the late 1990s, a beautiful mausoleum and chapel were dedicated. The building is constructed from polished Carnelian granite and trimmed in a granite of Moonlight Gray. This modern addition graces the cemetery’s eastern border, creating a reflective place for loved ones.

The City of Xenia Tree Committee is an all-volunteer organization that focuses on protecting the city's urban landscape and educating residents about the proper selection and care of urban trees.

For more information about the event, contact the City of Xenia at 937.376.7232.