State board to hear complaint about historic cemetery

Deteriorating vault, damaged tombstones, poor maintenance cited at First Avenue graveyard.

By Ed Richter, Staff Writer 12:14 AM Sunday, August 30, 2009

MIDDLETOWN — A state commission is holding a hearing next month over the conditions of the Middletown Historic Cemetery on First Avenue.

“I’m thrilled and I’m looking forward to it,” said Vivian Moon of Waite Street, who filed the complaint with the state.

The Ohio Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission, which is part of the Department of Commerce’s Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing Office, has slated the hearing for 10 a.m. Sept. 24 in Columbus.

In April, Moon addressed Middletown City Council about the conditions at the cemetery, which is the final resting place for 7,000 people — including many of the city’s founding families and industrialists, and also 233 veterans of the Revolutionary through Vietnam wars.

Moon in her complaint cited the deteriorating vault, broken and damaged tombstones, and poor grounds maintenance.

Moon said she hopes to accomplish “a comprehensive yearly plan to maintain the cemetery and the renovation of the vault.

“We need resolution on this,” she said.

Last June, City Manager Judy Gilleland said the estimates to restore the vault is between $60,000 and $80,000.

City officials have discussed demolishing the vault if funding cannot be obtained because the city won’t be able to pay for extensive repairs.