Historic Preservation

The historic preservation of Crown Hill Cemetery is a cornerstone of the mission of the Crown Hill Foundation. With over 160 years’ worth of structures, the preservation of the cemetery is more important than ever. Each year, the Foundation embarks on various projects to preserve and restore mausoleums, cemetery buildings, monuments, statues, and pieces of art that need repair. The work that is done ensures that the past is preserved for many generations to come.

Preservation Projects

  • Tombstone Restoration

    There are over 225,000 monuments and tombstones representing all of those who call Crown Hill their final resting place. Just as all the major structures and family mausoleums need to be cared for, so do our monuments and tombstones. Thanks to our team of volunteers, we can clean over 200 tombstones and monuments each year to bring many of our older tombstones back to their original beauty.   

  • Severin Mausoleum

    Restored in 2023, the Severin Mausoleum was designed in 1896.  The first entombment was in 1897; the last of 10 burials was in 1945. The name Severin is a familiar one in Indianapolis as Henry Severin built his hotel (now known as the Omni Severin) in downtown Indianapolis across the street from Union Station.  In 1913, with the help of Indianapolis Motor Speedway founders Carl Fisher and James Allison, the hotel was designed by the architectural firm Vonnegut and Bohn (who also designed the cemetery’s Sentry House).  Interesting side note, the Severin Hotel was listed in The Negro Motorist Green Book, as a location where African Americans could stay when visiting the city.

  • Fisher Mausoleum

    Restored in 2023, the Fisher family built the Fisher Family Mausoleum in Crown Hill Cemetery in 1916.  The Egyptian-style structure holds seven individuals (6 family members and Captain Joseph Hammond, a British Royal Flying Corps member who died in an airplane crash near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway). 

  • Beveridge Monument

    Restored in 2022, this rectangular monument, commissioned in 1942 and listed in the Smithsonian Catalogue of Art, features relief panels of classical male figures who personify aspects of Beveridge’s life. The four figures represent the Historian, the Student, the Lawyer, and the Senator.

  • Cunningham Family Mausoleum

    Established in 1888 and restored in 2022, this small mausoleum is unique in size and shape. Located in Section 33, it was constructed for the family of Dr. Henry S. and Carrie Cunningham and has two burials within the structure.

  • Thomas R. Marshall Mausoleum

    Restored in 2020, the Thomas R. Marshall Mausoleum, constructed in 1927, is located in Section 72 at Crown Hill Cemetery. Marshall served as the 28th Vice President for two terms (1913-1921) under President Wilson.

  • Caleb Blood Smith Mausoleum

    Restored in 2020 (exterior) and 2022 (interior), the C. B. (Caleb Blood) Smith Mausoleum, constructed in 1864, was the first family mausoleum built at Crown Hill Cemetery.  C. B. Smith served as Secretary of Interior in President Abraham Lincoln’s Cabinet. The sandstone mausoleum featuring Egyptian symbolism is located in Section 5 near the gravesite of Sarah Bolton and across the road from English Circle.