Sulphur Springs Cemetery
Why it's listed
Sulphur Springs Cemetery lies on the south side of Camp's Mills Road in the small hamlet of Sulphur Springs, Hounsfield. It has two parts. In the northeast corner is the early burying ground, under an acre, with stones in simple rows, some of native limestone. The earliest date from 1812 and name families such as Spicer, Resseguie, Eveleigh and Morseman. Around 1879 the Sulphur Springs Cemetery Association added a much larger section. It has winding roads converging on a raised circular center, with wedge-shaped, circular, triangular, trapezoidal and heart-shaped plots, and groups of fir, cedar and beech trees. The layout closely resembles Watertown's Brookside Cemetery. A cast-iron fence by the Cincinnati Iron Fence Company runs along the road. The cemetery is valued as a record of early settlement and as a local example of the rural cemetery movement. Burials continue today, and the winding circulation pattern remains intact.
Significance in brief: The cemetery is significant for settlement as the early burying ground of the Sulphur Springs area. It is also significant in landscape architecture as a small-scale rural version of a 'romantic landscape' cemetery, modeled on Watertown's Brookside Cemetery. Its curving roads, shaped plots and tree plantings show how a national cemetery movement influenced a farming community.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 89001620, listed October 18, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Co. Rd. 62, SW of Spencer Rd., Hounsfield |
|---|---|
| County | Jefferson County |
| Listed | October 18, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001620 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Architect / builder | Architect and builder unknown; no landscape architect is associated with the design |
| Architectural style | Romantic (rural cemetery) landscape |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still an active cemetery; burials continue in the far southwest corner. Condition is rated good. |
| Acreage | 2.3 |
| Coordinates | 43.92412, -76.03130 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 89001620.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14707391
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.