Burlington 37 Cemetery
Why it's listed
Burlington 37 Cemetery is a small burial ground of about .89 acres in a residential neighborhood in Burlington, Ohio. It holds roughly 250 graves, many belonging to freed slaves and their descendants. In 1848, Virginia slave owner James Twyman left instructions in his will to free thirty-seven of his slaves and fund their move to a free state. The group left Virginia in 1849, traveled through West Virginia, and bought 640 acres in Ohio under the leadership of Thomas Walker Fry. The cemetery lies on a small part of that land. Earliest burials probably date to the 1850s, and the oldest known markers belong to the Toms family. Susan Twyman Gordon, the last of the original group, was buried in 1942. Headstones include stone monuments and commercial and homemade concrete markers, with graves oriented east-west. The site was listed for its role in Ohio social history and the Underground Railroad, as the only place directly tied to this community.
Significance in brief: The cemetery is tied to the Burlington 37, a group of slaves freed under James Twyman's 1848 will who relocated to Ohio in 1849 and bought land in common. It is the only place with direct physical and historical associations with this group. It is nominated under Criterion A for Ohio social history and the Underground Railroad, and under Criteria Consideration D as a cemetery.
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 01001064, listed September 28, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Center St., Burlington |
|---|---|
| County | Lawrence County |
| Listed | September 28, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01001064 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1849-1942 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History, Other |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Active cemetery with approximately 250 graves and about thirty-five plots still available; enclosed by chain link fencing and regularly maintained. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.41140, -82.51988 (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 01001064.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.