CLINTON — Most area residents are familiar with the Soldiers’ Plot at Woodlawn Cemetery. It is a group of 80 graves of Civil War veterans within the larger cemetery and is the focal point of local Memorial Day services.
Like most Civil War graveyards, the Soldiers’ Plot is deteriorating. The DeWitt County Genealogical Society has a plan for its restoration.
Nearly every gravestone in the plot needs to be lifted, leveled and reset. A few stones are broken in half, and a few more are missing. There is a particular method for going about the restoration of historic graveyards (think Arlington Cemetery, for example), and the Society has arranged a class to learn about it.
Dawn Cobb, archaeologist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and John Heider, a tombstone restoration specialist with R.I.P., Inc., will guide volunteers through the process, including hands-on instruction at the Soldiers’ Plot, on June 21.
In 2009, a sign was erected marking the spot of the Soldiers’ Plot with the names and locations of the men buried there. That sign is beginning to show its age, and there is more information to add to it, so it is being replaced as well.
Joey Long, DeWitt County Museum Executive Director and local historian, was involved with the 2009 sign and has agreed to help with the design of its replacement. Three stones are missing, and replacements will be ordered from the U.S. Veterans Administration at no cost. The target date for completion of this project is Memorial Day 2026.
The expected budget for this project is roughly $2,000. If any individual, business or civic group would like to contribute to the restoration fund, checks may be made out to DCGS and mailed to DeWitt County Genealogical Society, 310 N. Quincy St., Clinton, IL 61727. Write “Soldiers’ Plot” in the comment field. Donors’ names will be included on the new sign.
Anyone who would like to learn more about the project or have a presentation made to their organization, call (217) 935-3159, extension 6, and leave a message or email dewittcgs@gmail.com.
