The Mausoleums of Ferncliff Cemetery
Ferncliff Cemetery & Arboretum in Springfield, Ohio is home to numerous mausoleums, or structures that contain crypts or entombment chambers of individuals above ground. Mausoleums range in size from those containing the cremated remains or caskets of individuals to family mausoleums that are small buildings. . These structures offer a quiet place of reflection for loved ones, and provide a touchpoint for the community about the history of the individuals honored within. At Ferncliff, we have six private family mausoleums, 3 community mausoleums, 2 columbariums and six above ground crypts. Let’s take a look at some of the landmark Mausoleums at Ferncliff Cemetery.
Bookwalter Leffel Mausoleum
Completed in 1879 after the death of Eliza J. Bookwalter, the Bookwalter Leffel Museum was Ferncliff Cemetery’s first freestanding mausoleum.
This structure is located in Section 1 of Ferncliff, and is a windowless stone chapel made of limestone and sandstone. Designed in a gothic style, ornamental buttresses and a 15-foot entry doorway give the mausoleum a stately appearance. The design was created by local architect Charles Creager, who also designed the Clark County Historical Society and Courthouse buildings.
The Bookwalter Leffel Mausoleum pays tribute to the Bookwalter Family, industrialists in Springfield, as well as the Leffel Family who manufactured turbine water wheels. There are 15 crypt spaces within the building, and 11 families have been interred within its walls.
Take a Virtual Tour of the Bookwalter Leffel Mausoleum, courtesy of The Westcott Center for Architecture + Design and the Turner Foundation.
McGilvray Mausoleum
The McGilvray Mausoleum was built by Addie McGilvray after the death of her beloved husband, philanthropist and entrepreneur Charles McGilvray in 1922. The building was designed by Ralph Hall, the in-house architect for The George Dodds & Sons Granite Co. in Xenia, Ohio.
Designed in an Egyptian revival style popular at the time, with art deco influences, the solid Victoria white granite building features lotus flowers (a symbol of rebirth) and a winged sun disk symbol believed to ward off evil spirits. Addie McGilvray was interred in the mausoleum in 1935 next to her husband, Charles.
Take a Virtual Tour of the McGilvray Mausoleum, courtesy of The Westcott Center for Architecture + Design and the Turner Foundation.
Bushnell Mausoleum
Built with stately white marble, the Bushnell Mausoleum is the most recognized mausoleum at Ferncliff. It was completed in 1898 for Asa Bushnell, a prominent local businessman and the 40th Governor of Ohio, and his family.
Asa, commissioned the mausoleum himself and hired architect Robert H. Robertson, who also designed the Bushnell home on High Street in Springfield. The Greek revival-style mausoleum features 24 white marble columns that are replicas of those seen at the Parthenon in Greece.
The mausoleum includes six crypt spaces. Asa, his wife, Ellen, and their daughter, Alice, are interred within, alongside other descendants.
Take a Virtual Tour of the Bushnell Mausoleum, courtesy of The Westcott Center for Architecture + Design and the Turner Foundation.
