CALVARY CHURCH AND CEMETERY

Clermont County Genealogical Society

CALVARY CHURCH AND CEMETERY
Washington Township,
Clermont County, Ohio (Rt. #756)
by Helen Fisher

The small New England style church looks out across the old cemetery. It was erected in 1872, as the Calvary M.E. Methodist Church. It was enhanced with stain-glass windows of different shapes and hues. The wide oval framed doors contain a large padlock. A faded white bell tower stands tail above the red brick structure; grey moss covers the fieldstone foundation. Many initials are carved on the belfry walls, including my father's. The boys climbed the belfry ladder before Sunday School.

Sometime in the 1960's, its parishioners gone, the church fell to neglect. The chimney bricks were scattered on the roof, bits of stain-glass in the windows were slipping from their molding to the ground. Vandals had camped in its sanctuary leaving their litter. Mice had chewed into confetti, the remains of a hymnal and lesson leaflets. One handmade walnut pew remained.

Later, along came the Baptist. They restored the interior to serviceable condition. The windows were replaced with colored plexiglass.

At dusk one Sunday evening while visiting the cemetery, lights from the open doors and windows cast a warm glow, as a shouting minister reminiscent of the era of my grandparents echoed across their graves.

For many years, a Home Coming was held at the Methodist Church. After the morning service picnic baskets were carried to Schwabs Grove down at the crossroads and spread on the ground. In later years, tables were set up in the church yard.

Calvary Cemetery newer section nearly surrounds the church. The old section is across the road. It is on the land where William Buchanan made a clearing and settled in 1795. It is said the family gave the land for the cemetery. Just inside the wire gate are the graves of my grandparents, John T. and Henrietta Hall, two of their Sons Elmer E. and Arthur P. Hall (WWI soldier).

When I was a child, a few days before Decoration Day, my father Emery Hall, put a scythe and sickle in the car to cut the tall grass and weeds on family graves. The cemetery was not well taken care of as it is today. There were sunken graves, fallen and broken gravestones everywhere, hidden in weeds, briers and vines. One could walk but a few yards.

My last visit to the cemetery with my father was in 1977. We walked around the side of the church hearing murmurs as prayers in unison. There were no cars in the parking area. My father suddenly laughed, it was the pigeons in the belfry settling down for the night, talking to their young.

Many names of old settlers can be found; one, Alexander Buchanan - Ohio Revolutionary War M.B. 1813. At this gravesite is a small fieldstone with date - 1805.

Family names I have jotted down on occasional visits in the
old section are:

ALEXANDER. PURKHISER, GREGG, TERWILLEGAR,

MOYER. RIGGIN, THOMPSON, TAYLOR. ABRAHAM,

HITCH, RICHARDS, GILBERT, THOMAS, CAMERRA.,

FISHER, PHILLIPS, PENN, PLANCK, SWOPE,

UHLENBROCK, WILLER, BARBER, CLARISA, SELBY,

POE, RICHARD, BARTLEY, PAGE, IRETON, PADGET,

LAYCOCK, HALL, BRANNEN, HILL AND HOLTER.



 
 

BIRTHS
Birth Records
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Early Clermont Co. Births 1856-1857
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First Presbyterian Churches of Monroe
At Nicholsville & Bantam
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Baptisms of Children
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Anderson Township Births 1906-1907
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Old Bethel Church Baptisms
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Old Bethel Church Baptisms 1894-1908
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Early Births 1856
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MARRIAGES
Early Marriages 1800 - 1808
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 Marriage Book 13 1874-1876
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Goshen M. E. Church
Marriage

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DEATHS
Funerals Conducted by Rev. Hezekiah Hill 1862-1908
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The Old Village Graveyard

Deaths of Residents Over 75 in 1875

Infirmary Discharges That Mention a Burial Place

Death Dates from I.O.O.F. Lodge #313

Early Clermont Deaths from The Ohio Sun
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Obituaries From the Clermont Sun 1890-1891

Early Deaths from Clermont Sun 1855
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More Deaths 1857-1859
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Stirling & Moore Funeral Records 1888
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1880 Mortality Census
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Census
Goshen 1875 Quadrennial Census
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Quadrennial Census, Batavia, 1847

Quadrennial Census, Batavia, 1855

History
Incidents in The Early History of Clermont County
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Stonelick Historical Notes
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Vacation of a Road in
Union Township

Brown and Clermont County Families Mentioned
in the 1880 Clinton County History
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Day Book For Clarke & Frambes Mills 1838
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Immigration
Early Naturalizations from Common Pleas Minutes
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Citizenship Papers 1844-1900
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Names of New Found Naturalization Applicants
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Military
Veterans in Various Cemeterys
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Revolutionary War Soldiers

Clermont Courier Ads November 18, 1863
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Mexican War Veterans
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Revolutionary War Veterans
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Post Office
Post Marks of Clermont County
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Clermont Postmasters 1800 - 1930
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Early Unclaimed Letters

More Unclaimed Letters Unclaimed Letters 1855
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Bible Records
Manning Bible
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Banister Bible

Bible Records of James McKinnie 1830

Bible Records Index Volume Two

Bible Records Index Volume Three
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Churches
Old Bethel Church and Cemetery

History of Old Bethel Church 1868

Calvary Church and Cemetery Washington Twp
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Edenton Church 1861

Places

Perin Mills in 1863
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Goshen- Land Of Milk and Honey

First Settlers of Jackson Township

Legal Voters of Goshen Township 1855

Batavia in1847
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Poll Book Goshen Township 1853
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1840 Account Book, Laurel Ohio

Edenton School # 4 Pupils

Pensions

Pensions 1890

More Pensions 1890
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Other
Indentures 1825 - 1831

Index To General Store Account Book 1816-1819

Vital Statistics From An Old Record Book

Items from Clermont Courier 1836
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Clermont Pensioners 1883

Ohio Pioneers That Moved to Texas

Persons on the Petit Jury 1880

Jails and Sheriffs
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Items From Early Clermont Courier 1852
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Meeting of Patriarchs 1882
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Surrender Records From Childrens Home
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Gazetteer 1882
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Potpourri

Articles From The Clermont Sun 1889
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River Boatmen
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Sale of Delinquent Lands
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