Lindenwood Cemetery (Fort Wayne, Indiana)

 cemetery, NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, green space

 Upload a photo

In 1859 the first Board of Trustees for Lindenwood Cemetery purchased 175 acres outside of Fort Wayne. They hired Englishman John Chislett, then superintendent and landscape gardener of Allegheny Park Cemetery in Pittsburgh, to plat the grounds. Another Englishman, John Doswell was appointed the superintendent and supervising landscape architect of Lindenwood. The pair created a park-like landscaped cemetery that blended with the natural features of the area.

The roads followed the rolling hills and ravines, there was a blend of forested areas and open space. Vistas were created using grottoes, gazeboes, bridges, and sunken gardens. Two lakes provided a contrast to the lush green landscape. In 1884 a gatehouse was built and in 1895 Fort Wayne architects Wing and Mahurin designed a solid stone chapel.

It may seem odd to include a cemetery under the topic of recreation but cemeteries did serve that purpose. During the Victorian era, families would pack a picnic and travel out of the city to spend a pleasant day outdoors with their families, those both living and dead. Park-like cemeteries and the recreation experienced there gave rise to the demand for public parks throughout the country.

Today, Lindenwood is within the city limits and boasts over 70,000 graves. Most of the original features of the cemetery remain today but a few do not. The sunken gardens have been covered with grass, one of the lakes has been filled in, and the gatehouse was torn down.

Lindenwood was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.