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Franklin, Indiana: Grave in the Middle of the Road

The final resting place of Nancy Barnett, whose relatives didn't want her grave to be moved when the road was built.

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Grave in the road.

Grave in the Middle of the Road

The road construction was finished and the remains re-interred in the road at the time of this posting. The remains are clearly visible as a concrete rise in the middle of the road with a marker set into the concrete. Unfortunately, the divided road sign with a cross was not present.

[Darcy, 11/04/2016]
Grave in the Middle of the Road

In 2016 the grave was opened to exhume the remains while the road is widened. They were surprised to find the remains of seven people. Once the road is completed, the remains will be placed back in the coffins in the mound and will be known not as a grave in the road, but a cemetery!

[Debra Elliott, 09/02/2016]
Grave in the Middle of the Road

The road is closed right now for improvements and to run tests: apparently there are seven remains in the grave, not just one. They are going to re-bury the remains deeper, but leave the grave in the middle of the road.

[Roger, 06/21/2016]

Grave.

Grave in the Middle of the Road

Interesting news update about this attraction.

[Jess Gockley, 05/12/2016]

The skeletal remains of Nancy Kerlin Barnett are being exhumed and will be buried deeper in the exact same spot in the middle of County Road 400. The above-ground mound grave had deteriorated and been hit by several errant vehicles over the years. Barnett was interred there in 1831.

Grave in the Middle of the Road

A mound with a historical marker sits in the middle of a county road just south of Amity, Indiana -- the spot where Nancy Kerlin Barnett was buried in 1831. But her grave is in for some major changes. In May 2016 the road will be closed, Barnett's remains moved, and the mound leveled, although just temporarily. When the road reopens in about a month, Barnett will again rest in peace between the lanes of the county road, this time in a flatter spot surrounded by a new protective barrier. Johnson County officials cite safety reasons for spending $10,000 to revamp the 185-year-old grave. Traffic accidents and farm equipment have repeatedly damaged the site over the years.

[Brian D. Smith, 04/21/2016]

Grave in the Middle of the Road

Address:
E. 400 S., Franklin, IN
Directions:
From Franklin, 5.5 miles south on US Hwy 31, then a little more than one mile east on E. 400 S. From Edinburgh, a little more than four miles north on US Hwy 31, then a little more than one mile east on E. 400 S.
Save to My Sights

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Big John: Former World's Largest Rocking ChairBig John: Former World's Largest Rocking Chair, Franklin, IN - 1 mi.
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In the region:
Coach of the Leg Lamps, Indianapolis, IN - 26 mi.

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