St. John’s Church Cemetery – Pomeroy, Ohio - Atlas Obscura
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Pomeroy, Ohio

St. John’s Church Cemetery

A lost cemetery stands forgotten on a hilltop, known only to the older residents of Pomeroy. 

A plot marker near the entrance. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
Spring flowers are in bloom. Many of the family names no longer exist in town. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
A fireman’s flag holder stands by itself. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
Some of the old tombstones are inscripted with German. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
Some of the oldest graves date to the mid-1800s. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
A memorial to the church stands near the center of the cemetery. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
A baby’s grave is near the entrance. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
St. John’s Cemetery stands atop this hill in Naylor’s Run. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
The path leading to the cemetery is very steep! rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
The path takes a sharp bend and leads to the top. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
An October, 1929 article about the demolition of the St. John’s church. This article appeared in the Democrat, a defunct Pomeroy newspaper. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
The bottom half of the story about the closing and demolition of the St. John’s church in Pomeroy, Ohio. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
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St. John’s Church was one of the oldest churches in Pomeroy, Ohio, but decades ago the congregation disbanded and the remaining members eventually moved away or died. Nearby, an unmarked dirt path leads to the churchyard’s tiny burying ground. The last burial took place here in 1954. Located on a forested hill in the Naylor’s Run area of Pomeroy, the forgotten cemetery is no longer being cared for and is slowly being reclaimed by nature. 

Know Before You Go

Ohio State Route 833 follows along the river in Pomeroy, Ohio. The turn for Spring Ave is near a pizza parlor. Make the turn and drive about a half a mile to the intersection of Rock St. and Spring Ave. You will have to cross a corner of a lawn to reach the path leading to the cemetery. Hiking boots are advisable! There are no signs marking the cemetery entrance.

burial placescemeterieschurchesabandonedhistory
Community Discussion
  • The Democrat newspaper, published in Pomeroy, Ohio.
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