Robinson Family Mausoleum

Running away to join the circus stirs the imagination in many a girl and boy, but in approximately 1820 John H. Robinson did just that. He ran away from his home in New York state and became a roustabout in a circus. This act of youthful rebellion led to the creation of a circus dynasty that lasted until the last of the John Robinsons sold the family business (The largest family held circus in the country) to an Indiana company that would eventually be folded into the Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey circus. Started in 1842, the circus entertained presidents and royalty and became woven into the fabric of living legends. The circus became a local business in 1857 when "Old John," as John H. was known, created winter quarters for his circus in Terrace Park, Ohio. Legend has it that elephants are even buried there. 

John H was the first of the four John Robinsons. His son John F., also known as “The Governor,” is the second of the four. John G., or “Papa,” came third with his son John the IV being the last. John IV was only in charge of the circus for a very short time and he became an attorney.

Many famous people are connected to the circus. One, Dan Rice, the most famous clown of his era, is thought to be the model for Uncle Sam.

Old John’s son Gilbert married Emma Lake, Queen of the Side Saddle and Wild Bill Hickok’s stepdaughter. Emma’s mother Agnes is a famous person in her own right having been the only woman to own a circus. Agnes also ran away to join the circus when she was fifteen. According to a Spring Grove docent, Agnes and Emma are buried elsewhere in Spring Grove.

The Robinsons were kind people and they made sure that their performers had a place in Spring Grove, up on higher ground.

Papa’s granddaughter Ellanora, was married to Superman, George Reeves. Reeve’s mother Helen petitioned to have her son interred there but was denied due to space issues.

All of the John Robinsons are buried on the family plot, including their wives, Elizabeth, Caroline, Lenora, and Judith.

The walls are slabs of blue limestone and smoother marble facing. The cost to build was $35,000, a huge sum for the times. The advertisements emphasized the “Four John Robinsons.” Here is an ad showing a four leafed clover with the four Johns displayed in the leaves.

This concept of four is played out symbolically in the design of the mausoleum. There are quatrefoils throughout the design with their four protrusions. It is suggested that the quatrefoil represents the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It is a mainstay of Gothic architecture and may simply represent the four Johns and or the lucky four leafed clover.

On the structure’s peaks there are stylized marble pieces each with four points. It is hard to tell exactly what they are, maybe stylized ivy meaning immorality and fidelity.

There are also four columns in the front arch and four statues grace the monument. The top statue is of the Archangel Gabriel with his horn. As Douglas Keister puts it, [he] “has his horn at the ready, to signal the heavens of the impending arrival of another Robinson.” His upraised hand also indicates the raising of a soul to heaven.

 The other three are the three virtues Faith, Hope, and Charity. Faith is the cross, Hope is the anchor and Charity is love.

The columns are in the Corinthian style. The relief is very worn and it is very difficult to see what was carved there. It looks like it must be flowers because they have stems and leaves. Berries can be seen.

Very little can be seen of the inside of the mausoleum but you can see a cross called a Glory. It is a cross with a halo and an aureole radiating from it. According to Keister, it represents the “most exalted form of divinity. The cross bears the date, “1874,” the year the mausoleum was built.

I have seen several comments claiming that the mausoleum is based on Sacré-Cœur in Paris, France but the evidence does not bear this out. The mausoleum was built in 1874 but construction on the church in Paris did not begin until 1875 and was not completed until after WWI. Also, Sacré-Cœur is an example of Romano-Byzantine architecture while the Robinson structure is Gothic Revival. They both have domes, but there the similarity ends.