Richmond Pioneer Cemetery

A monument to the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon sits in the Richmond Pioneer Cemetery. The cemetery is also where Book of Mormon witnesses Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer Sr., Mary Whitmer, and Jacob Whitmer are buried.

This cemetery, also known as the Pioneer Cemetery, Mormon Cemetery, and Old Richmond Cemetery, started as an acre of land deeded for a public burial ground in August 1846. Located on a hill above the risk of flooding, it became the burial ground for those in and around Richmond, including Latter-day Saints who settled in the area.

In 1875, a new cemetery was established in Richmond. It replaced the Pioneer Cemetery as the primary burial ground for locals. Then, in 1878, a tornado swept through Richmond and the surrounding area. It damaged the Pioneer Cemetery and toppled many of the gravestones. This destruction and the availability of the new cemetery led to the Pioneer Cemetery falling into disrepair.

In 1911, with the Whitmer family’s permission, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints erected a polished granite monument to the Three Witnesses. Elder Heber J. Grant dedicated the monument during a ceremony held at the Ferris Opera House in Richmond on November 22. The event was well attended, including members of the Whitmer family. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir performed as part of the program.

Today, the monument and the graves of the Saints in the cemetery stand as a witness of the Book of Mormon.

What to Expect

The Richmond Pioneer Cemetery is on the corner of Thornton and Crispin Streets. There is parking available near the monument, and guests can walk to the monument and around the cemetery. The monument sits at the northern end of the cemetery, atop Oliver Cowdery’s grave. Mary Whitmer and Jacob Whitmer, also witnesses of the Book of Mormon, are buried nearby with other members of the Whitmer family. Their graves have small headstones and some interpretive signage.