Oxford Community Mausoleum
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NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin, How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. 1. Name of Property Historic name: Oxford Community Mausoleum Other names/site number: Oakgrove Community Mausoleum, Benton County Mausoleum Name of related multiple property listing: Early Community Mausoleum Movement in Indiana ____________________________________________________________________________ 2. Location Street & number: 3268 W State Rd 352 City or town: Oxford State: IN County: Benton Not For Publication: Vicinity: X ____________________________________________________________________________ 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this X nomination ___ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property __X_ meets ___ does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant at the following level(s) of significance: ___national __X_statewide _X__local Applicable National Register Criteria: _X__A ___B _X__C ___D Signature of certifying official/Title: Date Indiana DNR-Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria. Signature of commenting official: Date Title : State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government 1 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Oxford Community Mausoleum Benton, IN Name of Property County and State ______________________________________________________________________________ 4. National Park Service Certification I hereby certify that this property is: entered in the National Register determined eligible for the National Register determined not eligible for the National Register removed from the National Register other (explain:) _____________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Signature of the Keeper Date of Action ____________________________________________________________________________ 5. Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply.) Private: Public – Local x Public – State Public – Federal Category of Property (Check only one box.) Building(s) x District Site Structure Object Sections 1-6 page 2 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Oxford Community Mausoleum Benton, IN Name of Property County and State Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count) Contributing Noncontributing _____1________ _____________ buildings _____________ _____________ sites _____________ _____________ structures _____________ _____________ objects _____________ ______________ Total Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register _____0____ ____________________________________________________________________________ 6. Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) FUNERARY – Graves/Burials ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) FUNERARY – Graves/Burials ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ Sections 1-6 page 3 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Oxford Community Mausoleum Benton, IN Name of Property County and State _____________________________________________________________________________ 7. Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions.) LATE VICTORIAN: Romanesque Revival ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ Materials: (enter categories from instructions.) foundation: Concrete walls: Concrete roof: Terra Cotta other: Glass Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current physical appearance and condition of the property. Describe contributing and noncontributing resources if applicable. Begin with a summary paragraph that briefly describes the general characteristics of the property, such as its location, type, style, method of construction, setting, size, and significant features. Indicate whether the property has historic integrity.) ______________________________________________________________________________ Summary Paragraph Located in the Oxford West Cemetery the Oxford Community Mausoleum is situated in the southeastern portion of the cemetery and clearly seen from any vantage point. Textured concrete blocks comprise the one-story, single bay, rectangularly massed structure as well the two-story squared towers at each corner. The original arched entryways located on the north and south elevations of the mausoleum were enclosed with concrete shortly after the completion of the structure. The only contemporary alteration to the mausoleum is the replacement of the deteriorating original stained-glass windows with glass block. Despite this change, the property retains an impressive amount of integrity. Section 7 page 4 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Oxford Community Mausoleum Benton, IN Name of Property County and State _____________________________________________________________________________ Narrative Description Setting: The boundary includes only the mausoleum, which stands within the Oxford West Cemetery. Founded in 1868, the cemetery features a variety of individual granite and marble markers from c. 1868 to the present , arranged in rows. Easily seen from SR 352, the Oxford Community Mausoleum is situated between two of the five drive ways into the cemetery from the main road that connect by the tree line at the southern border of the cemetery. These trees are some of the only plantings within the cemetery, allowing an unobstructed view of the mausoleum from any point. Exterior: A single, rectangular bay with squared towers at each of the four corners forms the overall plan of the building. A rough concrete foundation capped with a smooth, finished concrete band supports concrete block walls pointed with a grapevine masonry joint. These walls rise thirteen courses above the foundation on the west and east sides of the building. A smooth concrete cornice band tops the block walls and terminates in concrete bullnose trim. A green clay tile roof, gabled over the main bay, has two courses of blue glass tiles on either side of the ridge line. The four towers, topped by a hipped green clay tile roof, project slightly from the sides of the structure and rise an additional thirteen stone courses above the east and west walls. The identical north and south parapeted end walls are bordered by the two slightly taller corner towers. These elevations are dominated by the large, double coursed round arch with projecting outer course and keystone, which spans the distance between towers. Originally, these entries were open, covered by still-extant wrought iron gates, but the Indiana Mausoleum Company saw the need to secure the structure shortly after the mausoleum was finished and ordered the design of a rolling door system as early as June of 1908. However, that system was never installed, and the arches were instead filled with concrete shortly after construction was completed. Standard- sized doors, contemporary with the concrete filling the arches, allow access to the structure. A pair of long rectangular windows with wide stone lintels and sills are centered in each tower. Originally, these were filled with stained glass, but were replaced with 3x6 spans of glass block when decorative glazing fell into disrepair. At the top of each tower just below the roofline is a circular ventilation opening, surrounded by concrete voussoirs. In the very center of the north and south elevations, a small parapet, two stones wide, sits atop the building with no other defining features. Interior When entering from the north side, light filtered through the blue glass tile of the roof draws the eye upward to the high curved ceiling and exposed glass tiles. The marble-faced concrete crypts Section 7 page 5 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Oxford Community Mausoleum Benton, IN Name of Property County and State are aligned in four rows of twenty, each row