fields—cemeteries built on non-consecrated ground for those too poor or too ‘evil’ to be buried in faith-specific graveyards. The potter’s field in Price Hill was built in 1849.
During its years of operation, an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 people were buried in the graveyard. Many were buried without markers, and many markers used during the operation of the graveyard have been lost through the years. During the time when a tuberculosis hospital was located at Dunham, the patients and staff participated in the upkeep of the cemetery. Some of the patients were buried in this cemetery since few people wanted to bury tubercular patients for fear of getting the disease themselves. By the time the cemetery closed down, upkeep had become a problem. In 1981, the city of Cincinnati decided not to continue upkeep of the cemetery, which quickly became completely overgrown.
ghost story
This cemetery is quite haunted. People will hear strange voices and sobbing coming from the grounds at night. When people walk through during the day or night, they feel that they are being followed or watched. Sometimes people will actually see ghostly figures, which vanish when they are approached.
Perhaps the spirits of all those unfortunate souls who are buried here are upset about the shabby condition of the cemetery or about having been buried in a potter’s field. The ghosts here always seem to give off an angry and menacing vibe.
visiting
A couple of obstacles stand in the way of visiting this cemetery: parking and access. It is difficult to find a place to park. The sign for the cemetery is situated beside a driveway on Guerley Road. From what I could ascertain, this is a private driveway, so you cannot park there without permission from the homeowners. Another option is the CVS pharmacy about a quarter mile down the road near the intersection with Glenway. You can park there and walk down to the cemetery. Also, you can park at Dunham Park and head through the woods toward the potter’s field. But Dunham closes at ten p.m., and it’s easy to get lost in the woods because there is no clear path to the cemetery.
Access to the cemetery is also a problem, though the field is open to the public, and you can enter it legally at any time. In fact, it’s unlikely that anyone would know you’re there, even if you had flashlights in the middle of the night. But the area is overgrown and nearly impossible to navigate. There were times during my visit when I literally had to crawl from place to place. For that reason, I suggest visiting during the day. Finding your way around at night through the thick brush is more of a challenge than any ghosthunter should have to face.
There are only a few headstones in the potter’s field, but there are some markers. Many of them lay flat along the ground and do not feature names—only numbers. There is at least one stone made of granite with the name and dates carved into it. When visiting the cemetery, try to find these headstones and markers because this is where most of the activity is rumored to occur.
REILY CEMETERIES
Reily Cemetery–Peoria Reily Road, Reily, OH 45056
Springdale Cemetery–Springdale Road, Reily, OH 45056
Indian Creek Church Burial Ground–N 39 degrees 27′ 52.3″ W 84 degrees 47′ 11.4″
Pioneer Cemetery–N 39 degrees 25′ 13.3″ W 84 degrees 43′ 56.9″
directions
Take I-75 north to I-275 west. Take I-275 to the Colerain Avenue/US-27 exit and take US-27 north. Follow this road for about ten and a half miles past Ross until you are almost to the traffic light in Millville. Turn left onto OH-129/High Street. Follow OH-129 for about six miles and then turn right onto Sample Road/OH-732. Follow this road for about three miles to take you into Reily.
The cemeteries are scattered throughout the area. When you get into Reily, if you turn left onto Main Street, you will find the largest two cemeteries in the area. At the fork in Main Street, if you go left, Reily Cemetery will be on your left; if you go right at the fork, Springdale Cemetery will be on your right. The other cemeteries are tougher to find because they are overgrown and now are hidden in the woods near the town.
history
According to some rumors and legends, in 1807, when the cemeteries of Reily were being built and their locations plotted, those responsible decided to arrange them according to their own religious beliefs—which were quite unusual for the time. These rumors state that the people involved were part of either a pagan or a satanic cult and set up these cemeteries in the shape of a pentagram for religious purposes. (See Reily Pizza chapter in the Businesses section of this book.)
The first thing you may notice when approaching the cemeteries in Reily is that there are a lot of them in a small area with a sparse population. At least four cemeteries are situated within a couple miles of the town’s limits: Reily Cemetery, Springdale Cemetery, Indian Creek Church Burial Ground, and Pioneer Cemetery.
Since there are only four cemeteries, the pentagram theory seems unlikely, at first, but there were at least two other cemeteries that have been removed to make room for farmland. While the setup of the known historic cemeteries and those that still exist do not make up a perfect pentagram, there are many ways to connect these cemeteries into a slightly flawed pentagram.
Through the years, these cemeteries have hosted several satanic rituals, and there have been rumors of rituals of witchcraft being performed in the woods near these cemeteries.
ghost story
Every cemetery in the Reily area is reputed to be haunted. Many people claim they simply feel uncomfortable when entering any of them. They say that they feel as if the entire area has been overtaken by a thick atmosphere of evil. People feel they are being watched or that there is a constant evil presence alongside them. This feeling occurs during the day but often is more pronounced at night.
People will also hear chanting from the woods nearby. Those who hear the chanting are never sure if these are ghostly remnants of the dark rituals that are rumored to have gone on or if rituals still go on here.
The spot that is reputed to be the most evil is within Reily Cemetery—a stone monument that is shaped like an angel. For some reason, the arms of the angel have been removed. People feel most uncomfortable near this angel and some suggest that the statue is possessed by some sort of demonic entity.
visiting
It is a terrible idea to enter any Reily Cemetery at night. First of all, the cemeteries all close at night, and this is clearly posted on signs. Local sheriffs know the rumors that these places are haunted, and they know that thrill seekers will attempt to enter the cemeteries after closing time. If you try to get in, you will probably be caught. The Indian Creek Church Burial Ground actually has two gates that you need to pass through to access the cemetery, each posted with warnings that they will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law if you pass these gates.
Many of these cemeteries are actually visible from the road, so while you may not get the full effect of ghosthunting them, you may see some strange things. And many people get the same dark feelings during the day as well. The town of Reily is creepy enough after dark; you don’t need to break the law and enter the cemeteries to truly experience the hauntings here.
ROSE HILL CEMETERY
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