Tombstone Tuesday: Little Georgie

 

George Blount, Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio
George Blount, Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio

Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus has innumerable outstanding tombstones. It is one of my favorite places to go when I need either a cemetery or photography “fix.” One of the most photographed tombstones there is that of George Blount.

 

“Little Georgie,” as some refer to him, was the only child of Eli and Sarah Blount. Eli was the owner and proprietor of the American Hotel in downtown Columbus. On 7 February 1873, the family was getting ready to go out and little George, only 5 years old, decided that the fastest way to get downstairs was to slide down the bannister. Sadly, the railing broke and George fell; he died eight days later. 

His tombstone features an almost lifesize likeness. People regularly leave toys at his grave. (If you look closely at the photo, you’ll see some beads given to him last Mardi Gras.) Invariably, someone will dress him in a hat and scarf at Christmas time. It’s almost as if he’s been adopted by countless people in central Ohio.

Posted: August 12, 2008.

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  • Wow, that is really amazing.

    I would definitely not be able to go into a cemetery if it wasn’t for my love of genealogy – because they give me the creeps as it is. But I’ve grown to accept a lot of the cemeteries around here.

    There is one in a town across the way that is really neat. It is a very old cemetery and has some dates going back to the 1800s. Some of the names are of former rich aristocrats from the area who probably thought the cemetery would stay in the good part of town forever (Not the case, that part of town is actually rather unsafe). The cemetery has charm and an old feel.

    Great post!

  • Great post. Thanks for sharing this story.

    I just got back from a road trip, but I didn’t see anything this cool and touching.