Lakeview Cemetery and Wade Chapel (Burial Site of President James Garfield) - Ohio

(Post and photos by Leigh Touchton)

Lake View Cemetery is a privately owned, nonprofit garden cemetery located in the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland in Ohio. Founded in 1869, the cemetery was favored by wealthy families during the Gilded Age, and today the cemetery is known for its numerous lavish funerary monuments and mausoleums. The extensive early monument building at Lake View helped give rise to the Little Italyneighborhood, but over-expansion nearly bankrupted the burial ground in 1888. Financial recovery only began in 1893, and took several years. Lake View grew and modernized significantly from 1896 to 1915 under the leadership of president Henry R. Hatch. The cemetery's cautious management allowed it to avoid retrenchment and financial problems during the Great Depression.

Two sites within the cemetery are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The first is the James A. Garfield Memorial, erected in 1890 as the tomb of assassinated President James A. Garfield. The second is Wade Memorial Chapel, which began construction in 1898 and was completed in 1901. It honors the memory of Jeptha Wade, one of the cemetery's co-founders, and was donated by his grandson.

James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving only from March 4, 1881 until his death six months later. A lawyer and Civil War general, he served nine terms in the House of Representatives, the only sitting member of the House to be elected president. Before his candidacy for the White House, he had been elected to the Senate by the Ohio General Assembly, a position he declined when he became president-elect.

On July 2, 1881, Charles J. Guiteau, a disappointed and delusional office seeker, shot Garfield at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington. The wound was not immediately fatal, but he died on September 19, 1881, from infections caused by his doctors.

Coversations/Things we learned:

The grandson of Jeptha Wade (who started Western Union) wanted to build a chapel open to public in the Cleveland Cemetary, Lakeview Cemetery. He contracted with Tiffany,

The leaders of Cleveland commissioned the monument which is truly phenomenal. For visitors of the Cleveland Area and historical/presidential buffs, visiting this location is a must.

Contact Information:

12316 Euclid Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44106

Phone: (216) 421-2665

Website:

https://www.lakeviewcemetery.com/