Revolutionary War graves restoration project moved to June 7, 8

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The America-250 Ohio Project seeks to document all those who served in the Revolutionary War by July 2026, the country's 250th birthday.

As part of that effort, restoration efforts are taking place across the country and in the valley.

"We need to preserve the stones that are here," said Paula Hendricks-Richards, secretary at the Ellsworth Historical Society.

This weekend, members of that historical society will be tending to the eight graves of Revolutionary War veterans at Ellsworth Cemetery and another at Gee Cemetery, a few blocks away.

"We're resetting stones that need resetting, cleaning them, and gathering information on the soldiers," said Carol Check, trustee at the historical society. In the 1930s all of the documentation on these soldiers was lost in a fire, and now these dedicated folks are trying to piece that information back together.

"This area comes into play because this used to be the Western Reserve. Ohio was the land that was given to the soldiers when they got out," said Bill Richards, vice president of the Historical Society, adding that there are about 7,000 Revolutionary War veterans buried in Ohio.

Ultimately, making communities like Ellsworth Township the final resting place for many of these heroes is still a rare sight to come across.

"Some of them, you know, they just buried them where they dropped, but some of them got sent home and buried. These were all Ellsworth residents at one time," Check explained.

Tim Foor, with Hallowed Ground Cemetery Preservation, will be in town over the weekend, giving demonstrations on grave restoration. It's something community leaders hope to soak up and pass on to others.

"It's kind of our duty to make sure they continue to hold up for the future and that they are taken care of properly," Hendricks-Richards added.

Graves at Ellsworth Cemetery will be restored on Saturday, June 7 beginning at 9:00 am. Graves at Geeburg Cemetery will be tended to on Sunday, June 8.

This effort was made possible by the Ellsworth Historical Society and Ellsworth Township, which are covering the cost of the restoration.