Our History
Erected in 1838, the original Clinton Chapel building was 52-feet long and 37-feet wide. It was built on land bequeathed by Thomas Bull to the Methodist Episcopal Church
During the forty-four years it was used as a church, Clinton Chapel had an eventful history. The church served as a regular station of the underground railway, hiding many slaves in their escape to the north. Upon a shift in the location of the majority of church members, the Clinton Chapel was sold in 1882 to begin a new phase in its colorful history.
As a remodeled private residence, 3100 North High Street was in the center of an area populated by families of Revolutionary War Veterans. It became known as a showplace and home of gracious hospitality. During the prohibition era, the proper credentials entitled visitors to enter a plush speak-easy. Reverting to residential use, the structure was privately owned until it was purchased by R.L. Southwick in 1938.
Once again the building became a center of service to the Columbus area as Mr. Southwick moved his funeral home from the west side of High Street to our present location.
The Southwick-Good & Fortkamp Funeral Chapel is a family owned and operated organization founded by the late Raymond L. Southwick in 1924. Our facility has undergone several expansions, the most recent being a wing featuring the Raymond L. Southwick Memorial Chapel, designed to look like a colonial chapel with pews, and is the largest in Central Ohio. The chapel allows the rest of the funeral home to be designed like comfortable living rooms.
The firm continues to be family owned and operated by the 4th generation of Funeral Directors and Embalmers.
In 1997, we rebuilt a 100 year old concrete wall with a dry laid limestone wall, using 150 tons of Ohio limestone, hand selected and laid.
