Oak Ridge Cemetery

Oak Ridge Cemetery
Abraham Lincoln's tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery.
Oak Ridge Cemetery is located in Illinois
Oak Ridge Cemetery
Oak Ridge Cemetery is located in the United States
Oak Ridge Cemetery
Location1441 Monument Ave., Springfield, Illinois
Coordinates39°49′25″N 89°39′28″W / 39.82361°N 89.65778°W / 39.82361; -89.65778
Area365 acres (148 ha)
Built1855
ArchitectWilliam Saunders
Architectural styleClassical Revival, Romanesque
NRHP reference No.95000986 [1]
Added to NRHPAugust 4, 1995

Oak Ridge Cemetery is an American cemetery in Springfield, Illinois.

The Lincoln Tomb, where Abraham Lincoln, his wife and all but one of their children lie, is here, as are the graves of other prominent Illinois figures. Opened in 1860, it was the third and is now the only public cemetery in Springfield, after the City Cemetery and Hutchinson.[2][3]

The cemetery was designed by William Saunders in the Rural Cemetery Landscape Lawn style.[2] The location was chosen for its topography, including rolling hills, key to this style. The many eponymous oak trees cover a ridge bordering low-lying Spring Creek, a landscape unusual in central Illinois. The newest, southwest section opened after 1945. Its design follows the Memorial Park style, in which roadways are wide enough for motor vehicles.[2]

Oak Ridge has a Korean War memorial, the World War II Illinois Veterans Memorial and the Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The Springfield and Central Illinois African-American History Museum is adjacent.

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c National Register of Historic Places
  3. ^ Russo, Edward J. (2009). Oak Ridge Cemetery. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-7385-7723-4. Retrieved August 8, 2019.