Welcome to the Toledo State Hospital Cemeteries (1888-1973)
Grave marker 1404
They were forgotten in life and are now forgotten in death. 1,994 people in two quiet cemeteries…without a visible sign of their existence, as even the numbered concrete blocks that had anonymously marked their graves had been lost underground after decades of neglect. The busy community that had grown up around the cemeteries had long forgotten them and passed them by.
In 2005, The Toledo State Hospital Cemetery Reclamation Committee (TSHCRC) began working in cooperation with the University of Toledo, who now owns both properties, to restore the cemeteries and proclaim the honor due the people buried there.
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In May 2010, a memorial was dedicated in the Toledo State Hospital old cemetery to honor those buried there, and Ohio Historical Society markers were dedicated in both the old and the new cemeteries that now identify them by name and acknowledge their historic significance.
Photo: Toledo State Hospital Old Cemetery from Arlington Avenue, with Memorial in Center
As of June 2010, our current count of individual burial markers found is 1210. This has been accomplished through many hundreds of volunteer hours provided by our dedicated volunteers.
“We did not treat folks with the respect and dignity at the time of their death. I’m very sorry for that”.
Terry Smith, CEO Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital