8-28-2026 10:32pm

Restored Springboro Orthodox Quaker Cemetery to be Dedicated Sept. 12

Beth Callahan Editor

Mike Popow, of the High Concrete Group and Ken Stachowski SAHS reflect on the new cemetery marker at the Springboro Area Historical Society. (Photo courtesy of Springboro Historical Society)

SPRINGBORO, OH — A two-year effort to restore one of Springboro’s historic Quaker burial grounds will be celebrated Sept. 12 with a public dedication ceremony honoring the families whose faith and contributions helped shape the community.

The dedication of the restored Springboro Orthodox Quaker Cemetery, 145 E. Market St., will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. The approximately 30-minute ceremony is free and open to the public.

The program will include a history of the cemetery and Springboro’s Orthodox Quaker community, recognition of volunteers and organizations involved in the restoration and a formal dedication of the grounds.

The project preserves a site with roots stretching well into the 19th century. Historical records show the Springboro Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends began meeting in 1824. When the Quaker movement divided into Orthodox and Hicksite branches in 1828, the Springboro meeting became part of the Orthodox branch. Cemetery property was acquired by trustees of the Society of Friends in 1836. The Orthodox meeting was eventually discontinued in 1875.

High Concrete Group, which owns and serves as steward of the cemetery property, provided financial support for the restoration. Organizers said the company’s contribution made it possible to restore grave markers and preserve the burial ground for future generations.

“This two-year restoration project is about more than preserving headstones,” said Ken Stachowski, a Springboro Area Historical Society board member and project manager. “It is about preserving this sacred ground and the stories of the individuals and families who helped build our community. Because of the generous support of the High Concrete Group we are able to ensure that their legacy continues to educate and inspire future generations.”

Quakers Helped Shape Early Springboro

The cemetery is particularly significant because Springboro’s Quaker heritage reaches back to the town’s beginning.

Springboro was established in 1815 by Jonathan Wright, a Quaker who came to the area from Pennsylvania with other Quaker families. Wright platted 86 lots for the new community, originally known as Springborough. Early meetings of the Society of Friends were held in Wright’s home before Quakers established meeting houses in the community.

Quaker beliefs also became closely connected with Springboro’s important role in the Underground Railroad. The Springboro Area Historical Society says a network of 27 known safe houses in Springboro and Clearcreek Township assisted an estimated 1,000 to 4,000 freedom seekers. Many of the people involved were Quakers whose opposition to slavery led them to help enslaved people traveling north toward freedom.

That history remains one of the community’s defining legacies.

Following the Sept. 12 dedication, visitors will be able to walk through the cemetery, see the restored grave markers and learn more about those buried there.

Descendants of people interred at the cemetery, local residents, historians, preservation advocates and others interested in Springboro’s Quaker history are invited to attend.

The dedication will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Springboro Orthodox Quaker Cemetery, 145 E. Market St., Springboro. Admission is free.