Revolutionary War Veteran Graves Identification and Recognition Project
By Krista Horrocks, RWVG Project Manager and Marie Swartz, RWVG Digital Platform Administrator, Ohio History Connection-State History Preservation Office
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, America 250-Ohio, in partnership with the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office, Terracon Consultants, Inc., Daughters of the American Revolution and Sons of the American Revolution, is documenting the gravesites of Revolutionary War veterans buried in Ohio. The project is called the Revolutionary War Veteran Graves Identification Project. It is thought there are over 7,000 Revolutionary War Veterans buried in Ohio.
While there are sources for finding the sites of their final resting place, there currently is no one comprehensive, public, searchable database and digital map. As a legacy project of America 250-Ohio, we are setting out to create one and we need you to be a part of this effort!
The Ohio Country Opens for Settlement
Shortly after the close of the Revolutionary War, the Northwest Territory opened for settlement. Newly branded Americans streamed into the Ohio region and among them were Revolutionary War veterans.
Two swaths of the land – named the Virginia Military District and the United States Military District – had been reserved in the Ohio region explicitly for veterans. The amount of land given to a veteran varied depending on their rank and not all who served qualified to receive land.
A Memorable Revolutionary War Veteran: Nathaniel Massie
In total, as many as 7,000 Revolutionary War veterans would come to live in Ohio. Among them was Nathaniel Massie. Massie, having served as a private in the Virginia Militia during the War, was appointed deputy surveyor of the Virginia Military District, and would also establish the city of Chillicothe in 1796.
Preserving Their Memories: Data Collection for a Digital Database
Located on a bluff overlooking the city of Chillicothe, Nathaniel Massie’s grave is the first marker to be documented for this project. Documentation takes place in the field, using Survey123, a free phone application. Photographs, grave marker inscription, and a GPS point for each grave are collected and submitted to the database.
Massie is just one of many Revolutionary War veterans buried in Ohio. Records show that 1,700 of Ohio’s cemeteries are known to be the final resting place of veterans. It is likely you live close to one and with your help, we can verify historical documentation and collect new information about the grave sites of as many Revolutionary War veterans as possible.
Long Term Preservation Starts Now
By emphasizing data collection and long-term preservation, Ohio’s State Historic Preservation Office can serve as the central resource for identifying the burial locations of Revolutionary War veterans. -Krista Horrocks, Project Manager.
The information gathered through this project will support local communities and organizations in locating veterans’ graves and evaluating the condition of gravestones. This, in turn, will help guide and prioritize preservation efforts across the state.
Our commitment to this project extends well beyond 2026. We will continue to update and maintain this important database, providing the public with tools to contribute and ensure the information remains accurate and current. Ohio’s State Historic Preservation Office and the Ohio History Connection is honored to serve as a trusted steward of this vital data for generations to come.
Get Involved: Become a Public Researcher!
In early 2025, we committed to begin a campaign to record the gravestones of American Revolutionary War veterans and patriots buried in Ohio. This effort, the first of its kind in the state, calls on all Ohioans to participate in field data collection. With over 7,000 veteran’s graves to document, WE NEED YOU to enlist as a Public Researcher!
JOIN US in the great task remaining before us—preserving the promise of those who pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor, so that we may here resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain! It is our sacred duty, and privilege, to document the past so that generations yet unborn and unnamed may know the sacrifice and achievement of their fore-bearers.
For more information on contributing to the effort visit the Grave Marker & Cemetery Collection portal. All Public Researchers who do not wish to remain anonymous will be acknowledged for their contribution to the effort.
For more information on joining the Ohio Revolutionary War Veterans Graves Project: