XENIA — One of the oldest cemeteries in the area is getting some attention.

An Ohio Historic Marker has been placed at the Gowdy Associate Reformed Cemetery in the 500 block of E. Third Street. A brief dedication ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 30, at 1 p.m. at the cemetery, which is located between 519 and 603 E. Third.

According to city officials, the cemetery, which dates back to the early 1800s, was the burial ground for several of Xenia’s original residents, including veterans of the War of 1812. City records show the cemetery, which was once owned by a church, was formerly located on Columbus Street — between Main and Market — and was abandoned in 1847 (when Woodland Cemetery and Mausoleum opened in 1847).

Since that time, the cemetery has been intermittently maintained by a succession of churches and was recently acquired by the city. The earliest readable tombstone dates from 1810. The final known burial at the cemetery was James Gowdy in 1853 — many of Gowdy’s family members are also laid to rest there. Gowdy and his brothers — Robert and Samuel — were War of 1812 veterans.

James Gowdy, known as Xenia’s first merchant, sold a variety of goods from 1806-1850. It’s been noted that during the afternoon of James’ funeral, all the stores in Xenia were closed in respect. With assistance from the Greene County Historical Society, the city received a grant from the Ohio Historical Markers Program and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation to erect a historical marker a this location.