More than 1,100 grave shafts identified at Henry Street Bridge project site so far

INDIANAPOLIS — As crews make way for the new Henry Street Bridge, they’re also unearthing a centuries-old chapter of Indianapolis history.

Construction site passersby may notice it’s beginning to take some shape. The first beams have been placed while archaeologists continue their efforts to document the stories of those buried at what was once the Greenlawn Cemetery below.

Much of what has surfaced so far is to be expected of a 200-year-old burial ground. Nineteenth century artifacts like jewelry, casket hardware and grave markers help to date human remains that could be as old as the city itself.

“This is more than a construction project for the city,” said Indy DPW Chief Communications Officer Kyle Bloyd. “This is a history project, this is a research project. We’re finding out the stories of some of the first people who lived in Indianapolis as we do this project.”

Project leaders said they’ve now identified 1,136 grave shafts, but it could be months before they know exactly how many remains are present.

“The area west along the bank where the bridge is being installed — that’s been completely investigated; there are no further burials that are there that will be impacted,” said Ryan Peterson, an archaeologist and principal investigator with Stantec. “As you move to the east, we may have looked at the initial area but we haven’t gone back to double check if there’s anything else that may have been buried deeper.”

IU Indianapolis researchers have analyzed roughly 250 remains so far, and explained how they plan to create “osteobiographies” for each person — which are records of one’s life history as told by evidence of health, lifestyle and more in their bones. It was part of an overall presentation for the public Tuesday to learn about the latest research on the cemetery, what archaeologists have discovered and how construction is going.

“I am not an archaeologist or an anthropologist,” said local hisotiran Leon Bates. “I’m a historian and I had no idea how some of this could be done, but I knew it could be and it should be.”

Although there’s still a ways to go, Bates says this moment has been a long time coming.

“Now, here we are, actually doing the work to relocate the people. It’s taken us almost three years to get here,” Bates said.

Project leaders will not decide where to rebury the remains or how to memorialize them until excavation is complete, although they say all artifacts will be returned to the people they were originally buried with. Indy DPW said the bridge is still on track to be open in late 2026.

The city also shares regular updates on project status online. More information on the project is available here.