UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio — Several graves were found at Upper Arlington High School as part of archaeological work being done regarding the Litchford Cemetery.
The former landowner was a freed slave named Pleasant Litchford. He was a prominent community member, a master blacksmith, reportedly the fourth-largest landowner in Perry Township when he died in 1867.
Upper Arlington Schools said Litchford bought his own freedom and settled in the area known now as Upper Arlington.
He created an African-American cemetery on his land. When his land was bought by Upper Arlington Schools in 1955, the cemetery was discovered.
When the current high school was built in the 1950s, 27 bodies were moved to Union Cemetery.
The parking lot was laid over the half-acre plot and part of the building sets on it.
In late July, an archeological team began excavating an area and found several areas that could be grave shafts.
On Friday, they found a fully intact grave with remains just northeast of the science wing.
Other gravesites were also discovered Friday including one that had been completely exhumed in the 1950s and two that were partially exhumed at the same time.
The district said it hopes to identify any graves and artifacts that are found.
District superintendent sent the following e-mail to families on Friday:
While we certainly knew finding human remains was a possibility, it has been a day of reflection for everyone involved. The cemetery and the people who were laid to rest there are an important part of our community’s history, and we are committed to honoring that history.
Work will continue at the site tomorrow. We are thankful for our archaeological team’s expertise and compassion as they continue this delicate and important work.
We will partner with Mr. Litchford’s descendants and families who may have had ancestors buried at the site to properly honor those individuals and commemorate the history of the site.
We will also continue to expand our curriculum to teach the full history of our community. We hope to have students, staff and community members join us as we work to create a memorial and find ways to continue to share this important part of our history.
