INDIANAPOLIS — The new bridge over the White River being constructed as part of the Indianapolis Department of Public Works’ (Indy DPW) White River Innovation District Project, also referred to as the Henry Street Bridge, will be designated as the Greenlawn Memorial Bridge.
The name was selected by the Community Advisory Group (CAG) for the project to honor the city’s earliest settlers who were buried in Indianapolis’s first public cemetery. The Board of Public Works approved the recommendation at this afternoon’s board meeting.
On the east side of the White River, the White River Innovation District project impacts 1.359 acres of the former Greenlawn Cemetery, which encompasses four cemeteries: the Original Burying Ground, the New Burying Ground, the North Burying Ground and Greenlawn Cemetery. The original four acres of Greenlawn were designated as a cemetery in 1821 and the City banned burials after 1890 when it is believed to have grown to more than 25 acres. The cemetery was abandoned and several developments were constructed over it, including a baseball stadium and rail freight terminal.
While some individuals were moved to Crown Hill Cemetery before this development took place, many graves remained at the Greenlawn site. Between November 2024 and October 2025, Indy DPW’s archaeology consultant Stantec excavated 1,709 grave shafts within the City’s right of way before beginning construction on the Greenlawn Memorial Bridge. The plans to reinter those individuals are in development.
