The Mantua Township Historical Cemeteries Restoration Project is a recently established group for those interested in the Pioneer and Eastlawn Cemeteries in order to preserve their historical significance.
Under the direction of the Township Trustees the organization will evaluate, research, and with fund-raising for professional help, restore applicable gravestones.
The group is represented by three township organizations: The Mantua Restoration Society, The Mantua Historical Society, The Ladies Cemetery Association, and is joined by the Beautification Committee. However, membership is open to the public and new members, participants, and volunteers are gratefully welcome.
The Pioneer Cemetery, at the intersection of Pioneer Trail and Mantua Center Road, is just that – a pioneer-period cemetery – and reflects the obscurity and lack of information from that time period.
The Eastlawn Cemetery was established, according to Orrin Harmon’s Historical Manuscript of the Western Reserve (1798 to 1866), when “Melissa Reed, a girl of about 7 years of age, was the first who was buried there in 1816.” The Eastlawn Cemetery is located at Historic Mantua Center.
Both cemeteries include graves of veterans from the War of 1812. Eastlawn Cemetery has five Revolutionary War veterans and four from the Civil War, according to Amy Janca, of the Beautification Committee.
On Tuesday, December 18th, the Cemetery Restoration group will host a guest speaker, Janet Caldwell, Director and Curator of the Bedford Historical Society who has been involved with the preservation of the Historic Bedford Cemetery.
The event will be held at 7pm in the Mantua Township Town Hall, 4122 St. Rt. 82. This meeting is open to the public for all interested parties – volunteers, members of other local historical societies, and trustees.
