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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.