About This Location
Lake View Cemetery is a sprawling 285-acre garden cemetery founded in 1869, serving as the final resting place for over 112,000 individuals. The cemetery contains the graves of President James A. Garfield (whose elaborate memorial can be climbed for panoramic views), oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, and Prohibition agent Eliot Ness. The grounds feature stunning Gothic architecture, elaborate monuments, and serene lakes throughout.
The Ghost Story
The cemetery's most haunting feature is the Haserot Angel, officially "The Angel of Death Victorious," created by sculptor Herman Matzen in 1924. The bronze angel sits upon a marble throne with outstretched wings, holding an extinguished torch. Due to weathering, black streaks run from her eyes down her face, giving the haunting appearance of weeping. Visitors claim her eyes follow them as they pass, and some have reported hearing faint crying near the grave. The spirit of Eliot Ness, whose ashes were scattered in one of the cemetery's lakes, reportedly still patrols the grounds, perhaps eternally hunting bootleggers. Other visitors report shadowy figures among the tombstones and an overwhelming sense of being watched.
