OUR MISSION
Friends of Westwood Cemetery is dedicated to the beautification, preservation, maintenance, and appreciation of the Westwood Cemetery in Oberlin, Ohio.
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About
About
History of Westwood Cemetery
Oberlin’s original burial ground was only two acres of land on Morgan Street, leased by Oberlin College. By 1861 – the onset of the American Civil War – it was realized that a larger cemetery was necessary. Thus, the Oberlin Cemetery Association was formed July 9, 1861 to locate and propose proper grounds for a new cemetery. The first burial was in August 1863 (Samuel Montgomery, Sec. V), nearly a year before the formal dedication of the cemetery in July 1864.
Westwood’s design reflects the Rural Cemetery Movement of the nineteenth century. Such cemeteries were to be enjoyed like parks, with pastoral landscapes, winding paths, and ornate monuments. Today, Westwood Cemetery is around 47 acres and hosts over 11,000 burials. The cemetery grounds and records are maintained by the City of Oberlin.
Organized in 2014, Friends of Westwood Cemetery (FOWC) is a community group of passionate individuals committed to the long-term care and awareness of the Westwood Cemetery grounds, stones, and stories.
Successful projects have included:
Replacing sections markers used for wayfinding by visitors
Creation of the Tranquility and Memorial Gardens
Responsible for cleaning of gravestones
Advocacy for accessible data and records
The History of the Friends of Westwood Cemetery (FOWC)
The History of the Friends of Westwood Cemetery (FOWC)
In 2014 the Oberlin African-American Genealogy & History Group (OAAGHG) formed a committee to coordinate the local Juneteenth celebration. In addition to coordinating the Juneteenth celebration, OAAGHG created a program which was held at the Oberlin Public Library celebrating the 150th anniversary of Westwood Cemetery.
At the time, residents were speaking out about the cemetery not being maintained well and local newspapers were publishing articles about its poor upkeep.
The 2014 Juneteenth Committee was aware of the need to have a formal group of advocates for the cemetery and a sign-up sheet was created for the program at the library for residents to list their contact information who were interested in forming an advocacy group.
Subsequent to this event, Audrey Kolb organized the first meeting of the Friends of Westwood Cemetery which was held on Friday, July 11, 2014.
Margaret Christian, a historian, tour guide and fierce advocate of Westwood Cemetery donated documentation regarding Westwood, other cemeteries and cemetery restoration and was very active and supportive in FOWC’s incubation period.
Phyllis Yarber Hogan, who was chair of the 2014 Juneteenth Committee, was instrumental in the forming of FOWC, very supportive of the organization and its new members and was also very active during its incubation period.
In 2024 FOWC celebrated its tenth year of existence and we have a wealth of support and encouragement from the Oberlin community.
Activities and Resources
Activities and Resources
Monthly Meetings
Monthly Meetings are open to all. Meetings happen in the Zavodsky House/Sexton's House near the entrance of Westwood Cemetery on Morgan Street. Zoom access is also available, Check our Facebook Events page for Zoom address.
Cleaning Gravestones
The Friends of Westwood are responsible for cleaning of gravestones using No- Harm Methods. Cleaning sessions are in the warm weather months, and open to the public, May to October. Check our Facebook Events for dates and information.
Oberlin Heritage Center - Westwood Cemetery Database. This data base has photos of cemetery stones, information, and gps location for burials.
The City of Oberlin - Westwood Cemetery has an online burial search data base showing plot locations by searching last name of plot owner. This online burial search is for any plot , claimed or available.
Donate
Donate
Ongoing membership drive from January through to December
Supports the Friends of Westwood Cemetery (FOWC) projects.
FOWC is a 501(c)(3) Non profit Organization
Calendar and Social
Calendar and Social
Contact
Contact
Mailing address: P.O. Box #85, Oberlin, OH 44074
Email: friendsofwestwood@gmail.com
Cemetery Location: 455 Morgan Street , Oberlin, Ohio 44074
FOWC Board Members
Audrey Kolb, President
Amanda Manahan, Vice President
Robin Jindra, Treasurer
Judy Connolly, Recording Secretary
Ronnie Rimbert, Brian Bliss, Steve Johnson, Cindy Bowens, Kathy Hilton
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