Plymouth Greenlawn Cemetery Chapel
Why it's listed
Greenlawn Cemetery Chapel is a small wood-frame building at the southeast edge of Plymouth, Ohio, beside State Route 98. Built circa 1880 by an unknown architect, it shows Eastlake-style influence in its wrap-around porch, carved spindlework, and complex slate roof with roof cresting, dentils and brackets. The one-room interior retains hardwood floors, plaster walls, vertical board paneling and the original cast iron stove. The chapel first stood on the cemetery ridge and was moved circa 1910 to the base of the ridge, with no records explaining why. Local newspapers describe its use as an interdenominational chapel for funerals until the mid-1920s. From 1950 to 1994 it served as storage. Plymouth residents then raised funds and donated labor for repairs to the porch, foundation lattice, spindles and windows, matched to historic photographs. It was listed for architecture as the only known Eastlake building in the village and a rare cemetery chapel in that style.
Significance in brief: The chapel is nominated under Criterion C as a rare example of Eastlake architecture applied to a cemetery chapel. It features a wrap-around porch, spindlework, and a complex slate roof with three-dimensional ornament. It is the only known Eastlake building identified in the village of Plymouth.
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 96000116, listed February 22, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Greenlawn Cemetery, Plymouth |
|---|---|
| County | Richland County |
| Listed | February 22, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000116 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1880-1925 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Eastlake |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant/not in use at the time of nomination. It was used for storage from 1950 to 1994, then restored in 1994-1995 with plans to resume funeral services. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.98688, -82.66842 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 96000116.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138666675
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.