Cemeteries
The City of Athens cares for West State Street Cemetery and Union Street Cemetery. For more detailed information, click on the link to the specific cemetery on the left. The cemetery pages will include information like background/history, notable people, and links to resources for families and genealogists. For additional resources or information, contact Deputy Service-Safety Director Andrew Chiki at achiki@ci.athens.oh.us.
Forms and Documents
- Cemetery Rules and Regulations
- Union Street Cemetery Pricing/Purchase Outline
- Indigent Burial Request Form (Please note the City of Athens only does cremation)
- Monument Placement Application
- Cemetery Plot Donation Form
- Link to Veterans Administration Application for Headstone/Marker
- Link to Union Street Cemetery GIS records
- Cemetery Filming and Photography Policy
West State Street Cemetery
West State Street Cemetery is the first designated cemetery in the City of Athens. It counts among its eternal residents early pioneers, founders of the community and surrounding areas, emancipated slaves and several War Veterans going back to the Revolution. Time has not always been kind to the cemetery and there were periods where it was left in disrepair. Over the years, a few residents have taken an interest in the documentation and preservation of the records and locations of those interred at the cemetery. Despite their best efforts, many graves are unmarked or unknown. A statue of an angel stands near the entrance to the cemetery memorializing the unknown dead.
Union Street Cemetery
Union Street Cemetery was originally established as the Athens Cemetery Association. It operated as a private cemetery until 2015, when it was turned over to the City of Athens to continue to care for it. This cemetery is overall in good condition, with many large sycamores and a State record holding Black Gum tree. Records are well organized, and although not a very active cemetery, still hosts interments periodically throughout the year. Limited individual graves may be for sale. Contact DSSD, Andrew Chiki for more information at achiki@ci.athens.oh.us.
The cemetery includes a groundskeeper's building, an elegant mausoleum, and is home to many notable people, particularly from Ohio University. It is also the host to annual Memorial Day services put on by local veterans' organizations.
List of Cemeteries Inside City of Athens
- Episcopal Church of the Good Shepard Columbarium (Maintained by the Episcopal Church)
- Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery (Maintained by the Archdiocese of Steubenville)
- The Ridges Cemeteries (also known as Athens Asylum, maintained by the State of Ohio, Ohio University)
- Union Street Cemetery (Maintained by the City of Athens, formerly operated by the Athens Cemetery Association and also known as Athens Cemetery)
- West State Street Cemetery (Maintained by the City of Athens