After waiting 23 years the work has started on the restoration of Ramsey Paxton Cemetery

by Rob Geiger

What a beautiful day on Monday, September 16^th, 2019 turned out to be not only weather-wise but after waiting 23 years the work started on the Ramsey Paxton Cemetery located on Ramsey Drive in Loveland, Ohio. 

The Rainey Tree Service started early that morning to remove the old rusted chain-link fence, started the clearing of bushes and trees. “We got the trees in the nick of time!” stated Steve Rainey, owner of the Rainey Tree Service, “Since the roots were pretty far gone due to rot, and damaged by ants. Most of the wild Cherry Trees we just pulled them out, roots and all.”  The tree service company worked hard for three days to get the cemetery shipshape removing all the potential hazards that could harm the new fence, removing and grinding the stumps, and reworking the ground that was disturbed in the process. 

Eads Fence Company started their work by installing the new fence on Thursday, September 19^th and got much of the project finished. I arrived in the late afternoon on Thursday and I was astonished most of the project was finished and how wonderful the new fence looked? I could not help but look at the surrounding area imagining what the old Ramsey Farm must have looked like when the first interment took place in March 1813 with Lt. Col. Thomas Paxton the first permanent white settler in the Virginia Military Track. 

We are waiting for the installation of a section of fence and setting the gateposts before the gate can be restored and put into place. We are hoping this part of the project will be completed by mid to late November 2019. The headstones are scheduled to be cleaned by October 22, 2019, by Cold Jet located on Wards Corner Road. I’m looking into how much it would cost to have a new marker placed on the weathered limestone slab of Lt. Col. Paxton’s grave having the same verbiage that was once etched depicting his contributions when he fought in the American Revolution and the Battle of Fallen Timbers. If the cost is substantial, we might have to wait for the next group of caretakers of the cemetery to take on that project? Hopefully, it won’t be another 23 years.       

I could not help myself getting choked up a little to see what was accomplished in the last four days and how many people were involved to make this project a success! Everyone who was and is involved by donating money and or their time should come up to the cemetery see the great progress in preserving one of our great landmarks in the area!    

We are hoping in the Spring of 2020 to have a formal rededication of the Ramsey-Paxton Cemetery. Please continue to look for additional updates with the Loveland Magazine publication.

Loveland Magazine is the Media Sponsor for the restoration of the Ramsey Paxton Cemetery.