YOUNGSTOWN — Oak Hill Cemetery is a garden-style graveyard.

It was opened in 1854 and is located on Oak Hill Avenue, opposite the former South Side Hospital. Many prominent local residents are interred there, including David Tod, the 25th governor of Ohio. Distinctive monuments and mausoleums are hallmarks of this urban burial ground.

Warren H. Manning, known for his “wild garden” designs, was commissioned as the landscape designer for Oak Hill.

“Oak Hill Cemetery is a great example of a mid-19th century rural cemetery,” explained Traci Manning, the Mahoning Valley Historical Society’s curator of education.

Traci Manning is no relation to Warren H. Manning — but has a deep knowledge of the local graveyard.

“These cemeteries were designed to create a pleasant and accommodating environment to stroll, visit gravesides and even picnic. Furnishings and landscaping underlie the park-like qualities of the cemetery,” she said. “These cemeteries were often built away from the center of town and became destinations for visitors. Oak Hill’s rolling landscape is highlighted, and there are several historic images which show the garden-like designs.”

Oak Hill also is home to a few 1918 Spanish flu pandemic victims. While Manning said the research to date only has highlighted a few burials from early pandemics, there could be more, especially in the “potter’s field” area of the cemetery. Manning said that area was set aside for people who could not afford a more standard burial.

One other interesting note for Oak Hill are the number of graves marked USCT, which stood for United States Colored Troops. These were men of color from Youngstown who fought in the Civil War. The graves have been located thanks to the efforts of Civil War historian Steffon Jones. In the Oak Hill lecture, Manning will highlight two of those veterans, Oscar and Elisha Bogguess.

For Manning, the USCT headstones are of special interest. She said the Civil War long has been a passion of study that began with a birthday gift.

“I have been interested in the American Civil War since I was a young child,” Manning said. “My grandfather gave me an Abraham Lincoln coloring book for my third birthday and I have been hooked ever since.”

Manning’s presentation in the William Holmes McGuffey Historical Society’s Memories of a Lifetime lecture series 10 a.m. Jan. 15 at Chad Anthony’s Grille’s meeting room, 4698 Belmont Avenue , Liberty, not only will highlight leading figures in Mahoning Valley history, such as the Wicks and Tods, but also will include the working-class families and even a scandalous murder.

“Folks will also get to explore the history and symbolism of some of the statues and monuments and discover the meaning behind some of the cemetery’s most beautiful works of art,” she said.

The William Holmes McGuffey Historical Society was founded in 1961 in Coitsville. The society purchased the homestead of nationally known educator, children’s author and anthologist, William Holmes McGuffey, located on Coitsville’s McGuffey Road. Now known as the McGuffey Wildlife Preserve, it was donated in 1998 to the Mill Creek MetroParks, to make the 78 acres of woods, trails and an unusual geological feature, called a drumlin, open to the public.

The Jan. 15 lecture is open to the public. Member admission is $5. Nonmember admission is $10. Seating is limited due to social distancing. For reservations or more information, call 330-726-8277.