The OES visited Hill Cemetery on July 5, 2003 with a follow-up trip on June 8, 2004. Sitting atop a hill overlooking the Scioto River, Hill Cemetery is a peaceful place for the departed to rest. The cemetery was the first laid out in Concord Township, platted by the pioneering Hill family. The first burial took place in 1821 when George Hill’s mother Elizabeth passed away at ninety-years-old. It was reported that many Native Americans were present for her burial, looking on in curiosity at the ceremonies of a Christian burial. According to records, at least six Revolutionary War veterans are buried at Hill Cemetery, along with several veterans of the Civil War. Most of the standing tombstones within Hill Cemetery date to the mid-to-late 1800s. They were generally in good condition at the time of our visit. Those that were damaged seemed to have been due to weather rather than vandalism.
As with many rural cemeteries off the beaten path, Hill Cemetery is said to be haunted. Local residents have reported seeing ghostly children roaming the grounds and have heard children’s laughter. The apparition of a man wearing a white suit has been spotted standing next to the old iron gate by at least one eyewitness. Strange sounds and darting shadows have been spotted int he wooded area that surrounds the cemetery. During the OES’ original nighttime trip to the cemetery, we were startled by mysterious lights moving through the woods at the rear of the cemetery. However, upon further inspection, we realized they were merely headlights on the road across the river. We could hear something following us in the wooded area that surrounds the cemetery on a subsequent follow-up trip, but we could not find the source of the noise.
Location Information: Inactive Cemetery [Safe]
Hill Cemetery is located east of Dublin Road and north of Home Road; Delaware County.
Photographs
Hill Cemetery's sign is the only thing visible from the road.
The cemetery itself is located about a quarter mile down this grassy lane.
A lone tombstone stood in the wooded just outside of the mowed portion of the cemetery.
An old iron gate at the entrance to the cemetery.
The view from the southwest corner of the cemetery.
Hill Cemetery as seen from the old iron gate.
A grouping of the cemetery's older tombstones.
Most of these stones dated to the mid-1800s.
This view shows most of the standing tombstones in the cemetery.
Several of the older tombstones. The tombstone to the right of the tree dated to July 1845.
A snail on the side of a toppled tombstone.
The tombstone of Solomon and Mary Hill. Solomon served during the Civil War and was the postmaster for the village of Rathbone for some time. We aren't sure why there's a shoe on the stone.
This tombstone belonged to the Robinson family. The father, William D. II, was born in 1799. The mother, Rebecca, lived to be 90-years-old!
A couple of smaller stones near the rear of the cemetery.
These tombstones were on the edge of the cemetery, near the wooded area.
One of the few damaged tombstones.
This tombstone was off on its own, away from the cemetery.
The tombstone of Stephen Hill, Jr., who died on October 15, 1870.
The tombstone of Christopher Freshwater, who died on November 4, 1866. He was a carpenter who accompanied the Hills to Ohio in 1812.
One of the taller tombstones in the older section of the cemetery.
This tombstone belongs to Benjamin Marsh, who died September 30, 1845. His third great-grandfather, John Webster, was the fifth Governor of the Royal Colony of Connecticut.
Several snails and spiders were on this tombstone under tree cover.
William Marsh's stone had been broken and repaired at some point. He died on November 12, 1863.
Another tombstone, another spider.
Several spiders were on the tombstone of Almina Hill. She died on July 2, 1829 at only two years old.
The tombstone of Stephen Marsh. He also died at a young age on February 19, 1826, at just one and a half years old.
The tombstone of Stephen Hill, who served as a "minute man" during the American Revolution under Captain Van Meter. He and a handful of others were among the first settlers of Concord Township.
Maryem Hill was the wife of Stephen Hill. She died on February 18, 1846. She parented eleven children from 1784 to 1807.
The tombstone of Susannah Hill, consort of David Hill. She died on August 7, 1844 at 60-years-old.
The following photos are from our original night trip to Hill Cemetery in 2003. Notice the orb-like object next to the gate.
One of the large trees within the cemetery.
Several tombstones were under the tree.
This solitary dead rose gave off a creepy vibe.
The tombstone of Emily Nash, who died in 1845.
Several tombstones standing in the darkness.
This tombstone stood alone in an overgrown section of the cemetery.
Several older tombstones stood at the edge of the cemetery.
The row of tombstones fade into the darkness.
This taller tombstone had an urn shaped top.
A group of tombstones in the dark corner of the cemetery.
Nearly identical tombstones stood in this row, flanked by larger stones.
Some tree branches were low-hanging.
A look back toward the cemetery's gate.
Looking west from the Scioto River side of the cemetery.
