INDIANAPOLIS – In June 2024 the Indianapolis Department of Public Works (Indy DPW) announced plans to conduct an archaeological led excavation of the former Greenlawn Cemetery ground impacted by the White River Innovation District project. The Department has committed to going above and beyond what is required by state law in coordination with an established Community Advisory Group (CAG). Since that announcement, Indy DPW has been working with consultants and the CAG to file a new excavation plan with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).
As a part of the preconstruction work, DPW’s consultant Stantec conducted corings, which is the process of pushing 1.5-inch cores to a depth of 25 to 30 feet into the soil, in August. This was done at the request of and with the support of the CAG.
Coring was completed under an approved plan by the SHPO. Ten cores were collected for two reasons: to establish proper safety protocols for the excavation and to understand the potential range of cemetery burial depths for the excavation workplan.
During analysis, two of the cores contained human remains. It is estimated the remains were discovered six to 10 feet below the ground’s surface. The SHPO, who oversees cemetery compliance in accordance with state cemetery law IC 14-21, and the Marion County Coroner’s Office were notified upon discovery. The CAG, a group of historians, genealogists, archaeologists, cemetery experts and city staff, was then notified.
“Indy DPW has invested in this team of archaeologists to lead the excavations carefully and respectfully, given the history of the site,” Brandon Herget, Indy DPW Director, said. “The City and our team of archaeologists are committed to being transparent about our findings. We recognize these remains may be two of many individuals who may be buried near the construction site. The intent of this announcement is to continue our commitment to both the CAG and the broader community to be transparent about our process and discovery in this historic area of our City.”
On September 10, Stantec, on behalf of Indy DPW, filed an archaeological investigation workplan with SHPO. The archaeological workplan describes the process of identification, documentation, removal and analysis of the individuals who are interred within the portion of Greenlawn Cemetery that will be impacted by the project. As with other project documents – the approved plan will be uploaded to the project website, wridinfrastructure.com.
“The recent unearthing of partial human remains at Greenlawn Cemetery due to soil testing was an expected event,” Leon Bates, local historian and CAG member, said. “It is the beginning of a months-long project to methodically locate and remove the remains of an unknown number of Indianapolis’s earliest settlers. This process is the only respectful way to deal with a human tragedy that began decades ago but became painfully obvious in December 2023.”
The construction team began clearing vegetation along the east bank of the White River this week in preparation for the archaeology work. While no excavation will occur during the clearing, an archaeologist will be on site to monitor the work.
Additional information about the Henry Street Bridge project is available at wridinfrastructure.com. The website includes construction updates, project announcements, materials from the June 2024 public information meeting, and links so residents can submit their own research or genealogical information.
To learn more about Indy DPW construction projects, visit indy.gov/DPWprojects.
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