Marion Cemetery Receiving Vault
Why it's listed
Built in 1879 at a cost of $2,500, this limestone receiving vault sits in the middle of the original Marion Cemetery plat in Marion, Ohio. Toledo architect David W. Gibbs designed it in the High Victorian Gothic style, with a pointed-arch entrance, stone quoins, a gabled slate roof and a wrought iron gate. Behind the entrance vestibule, an arched vault is covered by grass. Receiving vaults held the dead through winter, when frozen ground prevented digging, and protected bodies from grave robbers. Gibbs, known for courthouses and jails across Ohio, designed no other cemetery building. The vault gained national attention when President Warren G. Harding died in 1923; his body, guarded around the clock by soldiers, was placed there, and his wife joined him in 1924. Both were moved to the Harding Memorial in 1927. Their link to the building likely saved it from demolition. A community service project in 1993 raised funds to stabilize it, and only the building itself is listed, not the surrounding cemetery.
Significance in brief: It is an intact example of the receiving vault, a 19th-century building type that is vanishing from Ohio cemeteries and that helps explain funerary practices of the era. It is also the only cemetery building designed by architect David W. Gibbs, and it held the bodies of President Warren G. Harding and Florence Harding from 1923 until 1927.
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 95001415, listed December 13, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 620 Delaware Ave., Marion |
|---|---|
| County | Marion County |
| Listed | December 13, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95001415 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1879-1927 |
| Architect / builder | David W. Gibbs, Toledo |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/High Victorian Gothic |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used for storage by the cemetery association after ceasing its original purpose; stabilized in 1993-1994 with the wings rebuilt and stained glass windows installed. The form lists current function as funerary receiving vault. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.57611, -83.12223 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 95001415.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15247832
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.