Run 52: Spring Grove Village

For over 100 years, Spring Grove Village was known as Winton Place. In the 1800’s, the village was a railroad town.  In 2007, residents voted to change the neighborhood’s name to Spring Grove Village.  Today, it is known for having fourteen churches serving nine different denominations.  It is also known for being home to the second-largest cemetery in the United States. 

A few weeks ago, over wood-fired pizzas at Pomodori’s in Clifton Heights, Billy and Janet told us about an unbelievable run they had done in Spring Grove Cemetery.  Although neither Donnie nor I had run there before, we had heard others say the same thing.  In fact, there are several local races that wind their way through its grounds.  This sparked our idea to spend our Spring Grove Village Run 52 in Spring Grove Cemetery. 

Billy was officiating a wedding in Florida this weekend (!), but Janet met us at the gate the Sunday before Veteran’s Day.  Since our original idea was to just show up and run for 45 minutes, we were so glad to see that Janet had printed out a map on which she had highlighted the notable burials. 

The Romanesque Norman Chapel (another Hannaford design) and Gate House provide a grand entrance:

 

We were excited to run with Janet, who just moved back to the Cincinnati area after living in Colorado for several years.  Janet has been on a “run streak” for over 370 days (I just typed 370 years, but that is obviously incorrect) and just scored a PR in the Columbus Marathon. 

Not far into our Spring Grove run, Donnie and I realized what we have been missing.  We’ve lived in Cincinnati for SEVEN YEARS, logged over 25,000 miles between the two of us, and never run in Spring Grove Cemetery.  Such a shame—this place is breathtaking!

 

Spring Grove Cemetery was established in 1845 and contains 733 acres.  The landscape was planned by Adolph Strauch, who also designed Eden Park and Burnet Woods.  The cemetery’s lawn plan—which was unique at the time but became a model for other cemeteries—did away with a typical grid pattern and was instead meant to harmonize with the landscape’s natural contours.  We found it to be strikingly similar to New York City’s Central Park. 

 

 

Among the monuments, indigenous trees grow beside ornamental shrubs and towering evergreens.  A ravine cuts through a Woodland Preserve; swans swim in asymmetrical lakes.

We jogged with two main goals: 1) to find the eerie bust of Charles Breuer “aka Glass Eyes” and 2) to see the ancient White Oak tree that is said to be upwards of 360 years old (almost as old as Janet’s run streak, haha!).  Our tasks became a bit easier once we connected a dotted line on Janet’s map to a main road with a white center line. 

 

The bust of “Glass Eyes” was satisfyingly creepy.  Legend has it that optometrist Breuer requested that upon his death his eyes be removed, encased in glass, and placed in the bust. 

But even more fascinating is the ancient White Oak.  The massive trunk is supported by lightning rods and the heavy branches dip close to the ground:

 

 

 

 

We also got a glimpse of the headstones, obelisks, and mausoleums of several prominent figures:

(Bernard Kroger, of grocery chain fame)

(Edmund Lunken, best-known for his airfield but cherished by Cincinnati runners for the jogging path around the airfield)

(Abolitionist Levi Coffin, whose home in Fountain City, Indiana was said to be Grand Central Station of the Underground Railroad)

(Chief Justice Salmon Portland Chase who presided over the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson and founded the IRS)

We also saw the simple gravestone of my relative Henry Probasco and the more opulent marker of his brother-in-law and business partner Tyler Davidson.  After his financial ruin in the late 1800’s, Probasco would serve as the superintendent of Spring Grove Cemetery. 

One of the most impressive sites is the Dexter Mausoleum, built for a whiskey baron to resemble a small-scale Gothic cathedral, flying buttresses and all:

 

And here’s a picture of me, pretending to be a docent, saying who-knows-what:

And here is Donnie, not buying it:

I could go on and on, but bottom line is that Spring Grove has something for everyone:  history buff, nature enthusiast, runner.  Being a bit of each, I plan to return soon!

 

 -K.