In 2021, the City of Hudson received a $17,000 grant through the Ohio History Connection Fund and additional amounts from other donors to help pay the cost to restore and preserve the Old Hudson Township Burying Ground. With the help of Gravestone Guardians of Ohio, the historical cemetery was cleaned and the monuments were leveled and restored to retain the integrity of the stones and their historical significance.
The Old Hudson Township Burying Ground, located at 30 Chapel Street, dates back to 1808 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Abolitionist John Brown’s parents Ruth and Owen Brown are buried there, along with founder David Hudson and his family.
With assistance from the Gravestone Guardians of Ohio, 149 items out of the 169 headstones were restored. The project will be completed by the end of October 2023.
The project cost was approximately $53,820. To date, the following donors have contributed to the project:
- $17,000 Ohio History Fund Grant
- $10,000 Marci Matthews donation
- $3,000 David Hudson Chapter of Questers
- $ 3,000 Western Reserve Academy donation, plus in-kind
- $20,820 City of Hudson
This project was made possible in part by the Ohio History Fund, a grant program of the Ohio History Connection. The Ohio History Fund is made possible by voluntary donations of state income tax refunds, sales of Ohio History “mastodon” license plates, and direct donations to the Ohio History Connection at www.ohiohistory.org/historyfund.