Linden Grove Cemetery is an historic cemetery that is situated on 22.3 acres in the City of Covington, bounded on the east by Holman Street, on the north by West 13th Street, on the west by Kavanaugh Street, and on the south by Linden Avenue. Linden Grove Cemetery was officially consecrated on September 18, 1843 on land originally owned by the Western Baptist Theological Institute. Benjamin Grove, a landscape gardener, was the designer responsible for the Cemetery’s layout.

Over the succeeding decades, the Cemetery continually fell into disrepair and neglect. The situation degenerated to the point that in 1948, the Kenton County Circuit Court ordered the Cemetery property placed into receivership. Until 1998, a series of Trustees, appointed by the Court, was responsible for care, maintenance, and financial management of the Cemetery. Unfortunately, this system proved insufficient to the task of properly maintaining the Cemetery and a new management approach was required. An Inter-Local Agreement for the care and maintenance of Linden Grove Cemetery was executed in 1998 between the City of Covington and the Kenton County Fiscal Court. The Inter-Local Agreement established a Board of Overseers to manage and operate the Cemetery.

Kentucky Historic Marker

In 2001, the Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service.

In 2010, a Kentucky Historic Marker was installed in Linden Grove Cemetery. The marker provides a permanent indication of the historic and cultural significance of the Cemetery in the development of the City of Covington and Northern Kentucky. The dedication ceremonies for the Historic Marker and the Nancy Slagle Memorial Grove were coordinated to coincide with the dedication of the replacement headstones for the Confederate Veterans on Memorial Day weekend and the Annual Covington Memorial Day Parade, from May 29 to May 31, 2010. The widespread publicity and media coverage of this event contributed significantly to expanding regional awareness, appreciation, and interest in the Cemetery. Cost $3,000. Funding for this project was provided by a grant from the William Dally Foundation and the Cemetery’s 2009-2010 operating budget.

Confederate Headstones

In May 2010, nine headstones for the Confederate Veterans buried in Linden Grove Cemetery were replaced under the auspices of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

The original headstones had deteriorated to the point that they were unreadable and unrecognizable. The replacement headstones were furnished at no cost by the United States Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Union Headstones

Over the last several years, a number of Union Veteran headstones have been replaced through the efforts of the local chapter of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. Replacement headstones are provided at no charge by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The replacement of deteriorated Union Veteran headstones will be an ongoing effort, led by the Sons of Union Veterans and supported with assistance and materials from the Cemetery.