Have You Seen the Famous Dollhouse Grave in Indiana?

When you think of cemeteries and graves, you typically think of stones and plaques with dates and a name on them.  Well, there's one grave in Indiana that is famous because it is so unique, and is a symbol of parents' grief.

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Located in Connersville, Indiana is the grave of young Vivian Mae Allison and it's a grave that many people like to visit because of how unique it is. Instead of a regular headstone marker, Vivan's parents put up a dollhouse where their daughter's grave sits.  Vivan lived from May 5th, 1894 to October 20th, 1899 making her only 5 years old when she passed away.  According to OrangeBeanIndiana.com the reason there's a dollhouse for Vivan's gravestone is because her father was building her a dollhouse for Christmas that year, but unfortunately, young Vivan didn't make it to Christmas to receive her gift. Vivan's parents took care of the dollhouse for nearly 70 years, and when they both passed on other family members took over care from of the grave.  Since close family members have all passed on, the town of Connersville has many volunteers that work to keep the dollhouse in good condition, and protected from vandals.

The dollhouse has a plaque placed on it that says it was refurbished in 1991 and again in 2019. I think it's beautiful that people still upkeep Vivan's dollhouse in her over 100 years later.  When you peek inside the dollhouse you'll see a bed, a chest, toys, and trinkets.  I think one of my favorite things inside the dollhouse is a small tricycle pulling a wagon that says "Vivan" on the side.  This dollhouse is truly a representation of parents' love and grief. If you decide to visit the grave of Vivan, please only take photos and be respectful, she was someone's daughter.  Check out the video below to see inside the dollhouse.