Remains uncovered at old Catholic cemetery site in Steubenville

STEUBENVILLE -- Skeletal remains dating back more than a century were uncovered Monday afternoon at an abandoned cemetery atop Washington Street hill as a required archaeological inspection began at the site of a proposed senior housing development.

The cemetery -- referred to in historical news accounts as the "Catholic Cemetery" or "Jacksonville Cemetery" -- was abandoned after Mount Calvary Cemetery opened in 1883. Woda Cooper Companies purchased the property for construction of a 50-unit senior housing complex.

Although some longtime residents recalled knowing the area had once been a cemetery, even sledding down the uneven hillside as children, the site was largely forgotten until April when construction crews moving dirt for the project uncovered six grave markers. At least two of the markers memorialized children.

The contractor immediately notified Steubenville officials, and city code enforcement ordered site preparation work to stop while officials worked to determine whether remains had been moved to Mount Calvary Cemetery or another location.

Ground-penetrating radar conducted the following week detected "anomalies" that the developer said indicated the ground had been disturbed and warranted further review by an archaeological consultant.

That inspection began Monday, and within hours city officials were notified that skeletal remains had been located, including a jawbone and several teeth, along with "the outline of the casket, including a handle."

City officials said they had been informed the archaeological firm, Ohio-based ASC, planned to investigate nearly 100 potential grave shafts. A source not affiliated with the city said the archaeological crew planned to excavate two graves Monday.

While officials have not confirmed which locations were examined, the mini-excavator being used by the team appeared to be near the area where grave markers bearing the names of Patrick and Bridget Hargrove were discovered.

Patrick Hargrove, an Irish immigrant, died in the 1860s, and his wife died several years later.

On Tuesday, City Manager Mike Johnson said city officials have repeatedly requested Woda/ASC's human remains treatment plan, which has not yet been submitted.

"Logically, I would guess they'd have to almost go dig at every anomaly," Johnson said, adding he "was not surprised when (he) found out human remains had been found."

"I always thought there were going to be human remains, just the way it is," he said. "Maybe the richer people back in the 1800s got moved to Mt. Calvary but the poor people (probably) did not."

Local officials said they do not know where burial records for the cemetery are located. The burials predate the creation of the Diocese of Steubenville in 1944. The area was part of the Diocese of Cincinnati until 1868, when a portion of its territory became part of the Diocese of Columbus.

Officials have not confirmed whether records exist in diocesan archives in either city.

Cemetery officials previously said there was no way to determine how many remains, if any, were removed from the old Catholic Cemetery and reinterred elsewhere. It is known that at least two priests were moved to Mount Calvary Cemetery.

Local genealogists told city officials months ago they found no record of the Hargroves on Mount Calvary's interment lists.

Johnson said code enforcement officers have been regularly checking the property to ensure no digging occurs before the archaeological work is completed.

"My understanding is Woda has to go to court, but I'm not 100 percent sure of the process," Johnson said. "They did indicate to our city law director that they probably have to go to court -- as far as human remains are concerned, they have to follow the Ohio Revised Code. I don't have that memorized, but ORC lays out exactly what happens when you come across these abandoned cemeteries. The archaeological firm they hired has experience with that ... so the city, we're just monitoring the situation. (The state of) Ohio is actually controlling it."

Mayor Ralph Petrella said the city will continue to closely monitor the situation.

"This isn't as much a city issue as it is a state and private developer issue, but it is within the city," Petrella said. "There's very specific ORC that the developer and archeologist need to be following and I have faith in them to do the most ethical thing. As far as a timeline or anything, I think it'd be unwise to speculate as to a time when that process will start or how long this will take. We're going to ask for patience from our citizens and we'll continue to be very transparent about this. These are human remains, possible human remains, and we want to make sure they're treated with dignity."

During a City Council meeting several months ago, Woda founder and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Woda and Plat Communities developer Tom Simons told Flora VerStraten-Merrin, president of the Jefferson County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society, that she would have an opportunity to document any grave markers and remains located by the archaeological team.

VerStraten-Merrin said Tuesday she intends to hold them to that commitment.

"I, personally, would like them to hold true to what their statements were," Johnson said. "I think that would speak to their character. I know Mr. Woda is a local guy with roots in the Ohio Valley, and I believe ethically he'll do the right thing."