Mound Cemetery was established in 1801 by Marietta city founders in order to preserve the Great Mound (also known as Conus), a prehistoric Adena burial mound. The cemetery has more American Revolutionary War officers buried in it than any other cemetery in the country. Rufus Putnam and Benjamin Tupper, who founded the Ohio Company of Associates are buried in Mound Cemetery.
Marietta is a charming river town. So why go to a cemetery? Best I can say is it’s like a piece of history really. And in Marietta, the entire town is rich with history from the Indians and America during the pre- and post-Revolutionary War. You can’t throw a stick without hitting a street named after one of Washington’s generals, and many soldiers settled here with free land in lieu of pay from General Washington’s army.
The mound is a big hill built by the Indians. After driving down bumpy cobblestone roads lined with homes that look like Martha Washington might come out onto the porch at any minute, you come upon the Mound Cemetery, nestled among the homes looking quite like it belongs there is the Mound Cemetery, bordered with an ancient looking wrought iron gate that at once says both KEEP OUT and “welcome.” Odd that.
Climbing the stairs to summit the Mound is part of your initiation to the Marietta culture. The stairs are steep, which adds to the allure. Once atop, the scene is one of history, art, tranquility, and … Marietta. Other than lounging in the Gun Room at The Lafayette downtown, it doesn’t get much more Marietta than this.