Mound Cemetery Mound (Chester, Ohio)

The Mound Cemetery Mound is a Native American mound in central Meigs County, Ohio, United States. Located in the eponymous Mound Cemetery, the mound lies north of the community of Chester in Chester Township.[1] Because the mound has never been excavated, it remains in fine condition. Its location near the Middle Branch of the Shade River suggests that it was built by the Adena people; if so, it can be expected to contain remnants of a wooden structure that served as the burial place for a prominent member of Adena society.[2]

Mound Cemetery Mound
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Comprehensive view from the southwest
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Location	Sumner Road, Chester Township
Nearest city	Chester, Ohio, United States
Coordinates	39°6′48″N 81°55′24″W
Area	5 acres (2.0 ha)
NRHP reference No.	74001575[1]
Added to NRHP	May 2, 1974

Many burial mounds existed in present-day Meigs County when the area was first settled, but many succumbed to the shovels of curious settlers who hoped to find treasures within. Some of these mounds yielded artifacts such as stone tools, pottery, and skeletons when opened. Other mounds were gradually destroyed by the plows of farmers cultivating their fields for many years.[3] The remains of what may have once been another mound and related earthworks can be found in the near vicinity of Mound Cemetery.[2] Another Adena mound, known as the Reeves Mound, is located in northern Meigs County north of the community of Alfred.[4] Unlike the mound remnants near the cemetery, the Mound Cemetery Mound and the Reeves Mound are listed on the National Register of Historic Places; both were added to the Register in 1974.[1]