Historic Woodlawn Cemetery

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Toledo, OH
Historic Woodlawn Cemetery

We are the final resting place for 88,000 individuals. Tons of Nature and History Programs too!

09/28/2026

👟Lace up your walking shoes and join us for the last Woodlawn Walkers of the season! Join us Wednesday, September 30, at 9:00 am for another beautiful early fall walk. See you there!

09/26/2026

Did you know one of Toledo’s most iconic landmarks is named for the city’s first millionaire?

Valentine H. Ketcham (1815–1887) arrived in Toledo in 1836 at just 20 years old. He started as a merchant and went on to build a fortune through banking, real estate, and business.

Known as Toledo’s first millionaire, Ketcham became president of the First National Bank of Toledo in 1863 and remained a prominent figure in the city’s business community until his death.

His son, George H. Ketcham, later honored him by building the Valentine Theatre, which opened on Christmas Day in 1895.

From a young merchant in a growing river town to Toledo’s first millionaire, Valentine Ketcham’s story is part of the foundation of the city we know today.

He died in 1887 and is buried in section 40.

09/18/2026

Nina Spalding Stevens was a key figure in the early development of the Toledo Museum of Art and in Toledo’s growing cultural community. She was appointed assistant director of the museum in 1904, working alongside her husband, George W. Stevens, who served as director. She played an active role in developing the museum’s collections and in planning and promoting exhibitions that brought art to a wider Toledo audience.

Stevens was also a strong advocate for art education and community involvement. She organized women’s study groups, museum tours, lectures, and other activities that encouraged people to learn about and engage with art. In 1903, she founded the Athena Art Society and served as its first president. The organization became one of the oldest women’s art organizations in the United States.

Stevens later recorded the story of the museum’s early years in her book, A Man and His Dream. Through her work at the Toledo Museum of Art and her leadership in the arts community, she helped establish Toledo as an important center for art, education, and culture.

She is buried in Section 14.

09/10/2026

For 150 years, Woodlawn has been a place of remembrance, history, nature, and community—a sacred landscape where generations have honored the people they love.

Join us for a special anniversary celebration featuring on October 8, 2026, from 5:30 – 7:00 PM. Our celebration will include:

🎂 Anniversary cake cutting & refreshments
📖 Stories from our wonderful docents and community
🌿 A self-guided stroll through Woodlawn’s history and natural beauty
💭 An opportunity to share your own memories and stories

Hear a story. Tell a story. Share a memory. Bring your family and friends and make a new one together.

For 150 years, generations have visited, remembered, cared for, and carried Woodlawn’s stories forward.

Woodlawn is more than a cemetery. It’s part of who we are.

Come celebrate 150 years of remembrance, reflection, history, nature, and community.

09/07/2026

Our office is closed today in observance of Labor Day. The grounds remain open and our gates will be accessible during normal hours.

09/05/2026

If you’ve ever visited Toledo Botanical Garden, you’ve experienced the legacy of a Toledo businessman who believed in giving back to his community.

George P. Crosby built a successful career in Toledo real estate. He began working for E. H. Close before eventually opening his own real estate company with his brother, Howard.

Crosby died in 1963 and his will left 20 acres of his Adams Township property to Toledo to be developed as a public park. After annexation, the city added more land, and in 1964 Crosby Gardens was created.
Crosby had already planted hundreds of trees and shrubs on the property, laying the groundwork for what would become Toledo Botanical Garden.

Today, his name lives on through the Crosby Festival of the Arts, continuing a Toledo tradition rooted in one man's generosity.

He is buried in section 40.

08/29/2026

LeMaxie Glover (1916–1984) was a pioneering Toledo sculptor, educator, and community leader whose journey into art began after years working for the New York Central Railroad. Born in Georgia and raised in Toledo, Glover graduated from Libbey High School before earning a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toledo in 1954. A year later, he earned an MFA in sculpture from the prestigious Cranbrook Academy of Art, where he was among the first three Black artists to study and became Cranbrook’s first Black faculty member. Despite opportunities elsewhere, Glover returned to Toledo in 1956, choosing to invest his talents in the community that had helped shape him.

For 25 years, Glover taught art in Toledo Public Schools, first at Woodward High School and later at Scott High School, inspiring generations of students while building his own reputation as a sculptor working in wood, bronze, stone, terra cotta, and marble. His work was exhibited at the Toledo Museum of Art and institutions throughout the Midwest, while his sculptures remain in Toledo-area schools, public spaces, churches, and private collections. He also served on the Toledo Museum of Art’s Minority Advisory Committee and was the first recipient of the Confederation of Black Artists Award in 1973. Glover died in 1984 at age 67. He is buried in section 32.

08/22/2026

Did you know one of Toledo’s most influential civic leaders helped shape the city, and even served a U.S. president?

A proud graduate of Toledo High School and president of the Class of 1881, Charles A. Cottrill dedicated his life to public service and community leadership. From serving in key Lucas County offices to leading Toledo’s NAACP chapter, his impact reached far beyond Northwest Ohio. In 1911, President William Howard Taft appointed him as Collector of Revenue in Honolulu, a role he held for four years before returning home to open a real estate office in Toledo’s Nicholas Building.

When he died at just 60 years old, Cottrill was also recognized as Toledo’s only African American 33rd Degree Mason, a testament to a life defined by leadership, service, and lasting influence.

He is buried in section 41.

08/21/2026

🌳 Don’t miss our final tree walk of this season on Tuesday, Sept. 1 from 6-7 pm! This is the last monthly tree tour of the season.

With more than 100 species of trees at Woodlawn, telling them apart can be tricky, but knowing what to look for makes all the difference!

Join Amy Stone for a walk focused on the subtle yet easy-to-spot clues that can help you identify trees with confidence. You’ll also learn how to diagnose some common (and maybe not-so-common!) tree problems and discover which issues need immediate attention versus those that are simply cosmetic and won’t compromise a tree’s health.

Come sharpen your tree identification skills, learn something new, and enjoy the beauty of Woodlawn’s trees before the season comes to a close!

Meet at the Hillcrest entrance indicated on the map in the second photo.

Address

1502 W Central Avenue
Toledo, OH
43606

Telephone

(419) 472-2186

Website

http://www.historic-woodlawn.com/

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