Burial at Woodland Cemetery Soldiers' Lot: A family guide

History of Woodland Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Woodland Cemetery is located in Cleveland, Ohio, on the east side of the Cuyahoga River. Founded in 1853, Woodland was one of many rural cemeteries built throughout the United States as part of the rural cemetery movement of the mid-19th century. The name “Woodland” came from an imaginative description of the city by Thomas Campbell, a Scottish poet who never visited Cleveland. The cemetery was laid out by Howard Daniels, a notable New York landscape architect who also designed Spring Hill Cemetery in Cincinnati and Druid Hill Park in Baltimore. For many years after its inception, Woodland served as Cleveland's largest public cemetery, as well as open space for a city lacking in parks. Streetcars ran regularly to Woodland Cemetery, which served as the final resting place for many prominent local citizens. Today the cemetery retains most of its original 60 acres and it is owned by the City of Cleveland.

Woodland Cemetery Soldiers' Lot is comprised of two separate parcels that the federal government purchased in 1868 for the Civil War dead. Section 14, lot 48, contains 16 graves in an area measuring 28 feet by 23 feet. Section 10, lots 59 and 60, contain 32 graves in an area 40 feet by 16 feet. The first interments were the remains of 27 Union soldiers removed from West Side Cemetery, Cleveland. There is an unrelated group of Civil War-era burials around the cemetery's central flagpole, but these are not administered by NCA.

Woodland Cemetery, including the soldiers' lot, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 1986.

Notable veterans buried at Woodland Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

The National Cemetery Administration documents the following veterans of note buried at Woodland Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, listed by section and site as recorded in the cemetery's official register.

• Under Development.

Eligibility for burial at Woodland Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Planning ahead for a Veteran's or loved-one's final resting place can eliminate unnecessary delays and reduce stress on a family at a difficult time.

The Department of Veterans Affairs covers the grave plot, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government-furnished headstone or marker, and a U.S. burial flag at no cost to eligible families.

Visiting hours

Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Closed Federal Holidays except Memorial Day. Visitation Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset.

How to schedule a burial at Woodland Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

1. The funeral home or family contacts the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-800-535-1117 (24/7 for active funeral arrangements).
2. Provide the veteran's full name, date of birth, social security number, dates of service, branch, and date of death.
3. Fax or email the DD-214 to the cemetery's interment office for verification.
4. Once eligibility is confirmed (typically 30–60 minutes for complete documentation), the cemetery assigns a date, time, and committal shelter.
5. The funeral home transports the deceased to Woodland Cemetery Soldiers' Lot at the assigned time. The cemetery handles opening, closing, and perpetual care from that point.

Where Woodland Cemetery Soldiers' Lot sits in the Ohio cemetery system

Woodland Cemetery Soldiers' Lot is one of the veteran cemeteries operating in Ohio. The cemetery is currently closed to new in-ground burials but may accept cremated remains in some cases. Families should verify status before planning.

For families considering alternatives, the nearest veteran cemeteries appear in our cemetery sidebar. If Woodland Cemetery Soldiers' Lot is fully reserved, those alternatives are typically the next options.