Indianapolis' Crown Hill Cemetery is noted for its unique beauty and historic significance. Dedicated on June 1, 1864, the cemetery, at more than 555 acres, is the final resting-place to over 185,000 citizens and is one of the most historically significant areas in the city. Many of the country's great leaders, soldiers, entrepreneurs, and artists are buried within the cemetery's confines including: President Benjamin Harrison, Col. Eli Lilly, and the infamous John Dillinger, to name just a few. Within these pages of vintage photographs, the history and beauty of Crown Hill Cemetery is revealed. Author W.C. Madden examines such structures as the inspiring Waiting Station and Gothic Chapel, both of which were built in the 1800s. He also details the ground's viscerahl history exemplified by the National Cemetery, dedicated to those who served our country, and the Confederate lot on the cemetery's south grounds.

Listed on the national register of historic places in 1973, Crown Hill cemetery has been a vital part of the Indianapolis community dating back to its first interment, Lucy Ann Seaton, on June 2, 1864. since then, Crown Hill has grown from a "rural cemetery" into the nation's third largest private cemetery and is a community treasure that serves a broad range of needs and stands as a monument to the memories of hundreds of famous Hoosiers and the thousands more who selected Crown Hill as their final resting place. Published by the Indiana Historical Society Press in cooperation with the Crown Hill Heritage Foundation, Crown Hill examines the cemetery's complete history and places its story in the larger historical context of the development and growth of american landscape architecture. In addition, the book includes vignettes of the famous families and individuals buried and/or entombed at Crown Hill and numerous photographs.