On August 8, 1912, a concrete slab was placed at Barnett’s grave as a historical marker and to protect it over the years and those to come. But where can this controversial tomb be found?

Nancy Barnett’s tomb is located in the middle of the road right outside a small town in Indiana, a city called Amity, in Johnson County. She died young, at age 39, and was buried in her favorite spot on a small hill overlooking Sugar Creek. 

Who was Nancy Barnett?

Nancy Kerlin Barnett was born on May 14, 1793, in Orange, Virginia, the United States, to her father, Thomas Kerlin, and mother, Anna Dehart Kerlin.

At the very young age of fourteen, Barnett married William Barnett on February 29, 1808, in Kentucky, United States. William Barnett was the great great great grandson of Pocahontas and John Rolfe. Together, they had a fruitful marriage and had twelve children. (Source: Find A Grave)

Why Was Barnett’s Tomb in The Middle Of The Road?

When Barnett passed away on December 1, 1831, she had a last request, a dying wish as most refer to, and it was to be buried on a hill that she loved and frequently visited. The location of her tomb became County Road 400 South, west of County Road 700 East, Franklin, Indiana, in the early 1900s. (Source: Festival Country Indiana)

The tomb where Barnett was buried turned out to have started becoming a local cemetery. As time passed, their community was named Amity, and as it slowly developed, The county wanted to put a road through the area where the cemetery was. They had to move several bodies to make way for the land development, but her body remained because her sons did not want it moved.

Eventually, the county needed to expand to widen the road and wanted to move her grave. Yet again, this did not happen. Barnett’s grandson, Daniel Doty, was firm that his grandmother’s remains must not be moved. He stood over her grave while holding a shotgun, refusing to let anyone move Barnett’s remains away.

The county gave in to the family’s request to keep Barnett’s lying place and decided to build the road around her grave. They placed a concrete slab to protect it on August 8, 1912. (Source: Week99er)

How Many Bodies were In Barnett’s Grave?

There were seven bodies found in Barnett’s grave. After many years, the county needed to do some renovation and surprisingly found out that it was not just Barnett who was buried there. Local authorities could not correctly identify the remains found with Barnett in her grave, but they hypothesize that these may have been moved with Barnett during the early road constructions that took place.

Instead of relocating the remains they found, the county re-entombed them carefully instead and created a new marker and a raised curb area over the grave. (Source: Week99er)

How To Find Barnett’s Grave?

Barnett remarkably became more known after she was buried because of her grave location than when she was alive.

To pay a visit to this famous landmark going to Amity, The Grave in the Middle of the Road, set your GPS to 6844 E 400 S, Franklin, Indiana, and see if this countryside location is still worth the stare over Sugar Creek. (Source: Week99er)