BEDFORD – The historic Green Hill Cemetery has officially been added to the National Register of Historic Places, marking a significant milestone for one of Bedford’s oldest and most storied landmarks.
A plaque unveiling ceremony was recently held at the cemetery entrance to commemorate the designation. Dr. Gary Bridwell, a member of the Green Hill Cemetery board, presented the plaque and reflected on the cemetery’s importance to the community and the generations buried there.
“Within these grounds rest veterans who defended freedom, civic leaders who guided this community, families who built homes, and ordinary citizens whose lives collectively formed the foundation of Bedford, Indiana,” Bridwell said. “Every monument, every inscription, and every pathway tells a part of our story.”
Founded in 1889, Green Hill Cemetery spans more than 20 acres of rolling hills near the center of Bedford. Located at 1202 18th St., the cemetery sits just two blocks south and one block west of the courthouse square historic district. The grounds are bordered by U.S. 50 to the west, 18th Street to the north, K Street to the east, and the former Monon Railroad tracks to the south.
The cemetery’s history, however, dates back even further. The oldest section of the property, originally known as the Bedford Burying Ground or Old Cemetery, was established in 1825 when county commissioners set aside nearly three acres in the northeast corner of the site during Bedford’s founding. The cemetery expanded in 1889 with the addition of approximately 24 acres and was renamed Green Hill Cemetery.
Today, Green Hill remains an active cemetery with more than 11,000 burials. Many of Bedford’s founders, early settlers, and prominent residents are interred there. The cemetery is also known for its artistic limestone monuments, statuary, and carvings created by craftsmen connected to Lawrence County’s historic limestone industry.
The National Register designation recognizes both the cemetery’s historical significance and its collection of contributing structures, buildings, and objects. Among them are the 1892 Voris Mausoleum, the 1903 Lemon Mausoleum, the 1908 iron gates and fencing along the north boundary, and the 1929 iron gate and limestone pillars at the main entrance.
Other contributing features include the Bedford Stone Cutters Association Monument erected in 1894, limestone and concrete roadway curbing added around 1960, and a memorial flagpole and benches situated atop one of the cemetery’s hills.
Green Hill also includes several non-contributing modern additions, including a garage built in 1991, aluminum fencing installed beginning in 2003, a columbarium added in 2018, decorative lamp posts, and a miniature limestone monument honoring Winthrop Foote, M.D.
With its winding roads, historic monuments, and peaceful landscape, Green Hill Cemetery continues to serve as both a place of remembrance and a reflection of the community’s past.
