Historic Structures at Crown Hill

In addition to the many family monuments, large and small, marking the over 220,000 burials at Crown Hill, the cemetery is noted for its historic buildings and structures. In this newsletter, we will highlight the oldest of these — the Gothic Chapel, the Waiting Station, and the Gothic Gate at 34th Street, along with some information on their architects.

The Gothic Chapel (1875)

Originally named the Gothic Vault, this limestone structure was designed by Diedrich A. Bohlen and constructed by Peter Routiers from 1875-1877 at a cost of $38,922.25. It served as a temporary place of entombment for up to 96 remains in the event of delayed burial, and an alternate venue for funeral services in poor weather.

Waiting Station and Gothic Gate (1885)

Crown Hill Cemetery's original main entrance stood on what is now Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Street. Built by John Pattison at a cost of $2,300, it consisted of a main central gate flanked by two narrower gates. It was opened on July 30, 1864, and razed in 1901.

Architect Diedrich August Bohlen (January 17, 1827 - June 1, 1890)
Designed Crown Hill’s Gothic Chapel (1875)

Image source: Photograph of Diedrich A. Bohlen as pictured in: Stein, Theodore. Our Old School: Historical Sketch of the German English Independent School of Indianapolis. Indianapolis: Chetenham-Aetna Press, 1913. p. 41.

D. A. Bohlen was born in Cadenberge in the Kingdom of Hanover (now part of Germany). After formal architectural studies, he embarked on a long walk through Germany and Poland, making sketches and studying methods of construction. He continued his travels all the way to America, arriving in Cincinnati in 1851 before moving to Indianapolis in 1852.

Architect Adolph Scherrer (August 30, 1847 - February 13,1925)
Designed Crown Hill’s Waiting Station & Gothic Gates (1885)

Image source: Encyclopedia of Indianapolis

Adolph Scherrer was born in St. Gaul, Switzerland, with Swiss-German roots, and studied in Vienna and Budapest before making his way to New York City in 1870. He worked in Chicago for two years and then moved to Indianapolis in 1873 to take a position as draftsman for Edwin May.

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