Milestones | Buchanan Group, Inc.

In the 1881, Frank Flanner became the first licensed embalmer in Indiana.

Flanner & Buchanan was a pioneer in cremation. In 1904 they became the second funeral business in the nation to house a crematory.

In 1913 members of the Buchanan and Flanner families were involved in the formation of what later became known as the Cremation Association of North America.

In 1917 members of the Buchanan and Flanner families were organizing members of National Selected Morticians, now called Selected Independent Funeral Homes.

In 1930 Charles J. Buchanan purchased Floral Park Cemetery. Today, the Washington Park Cemetery Association owns seven cemeteries in the Greater Indianapolis area.

In the 1950s Floral Park Cemetery built the first garden crypt community mausoleum in Indianapolis.

Buchanan Group was formed in 1987 to sell pre-need funerals. By the mid 1990s, Buchanan Group had become a full-service management company serving clients nationwide.

In 1989 Washington Park East became the first cemetery/funeral home combination in Indianapolis.

Hamilton Memorial Park Cemetery & Funeral Center opened in 1997 to become the first cemetery/funeral combination in Hamilton County, Indiana.

Buchanan Group developed one the country’s first family history computer programs made for cemeteries. In 1999, Family LegaciesTM, began serving cemeteries in Indiana, Michigan, Florida and Arizona.

In 1999 Buchanan Group became the manager of the cemeteries belonging to the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

Buchanan Group got into the granite memorial business in 1999 when it purchased Honor Life Memorials. It was renamed Millennium Memorials.

In 2001 the Community Life Center opened at Washington Park East Cemetery in Indianapolis. This 20,000 sq. ft. center serves as a venue for community events and showcase weddings.

For five years, starting in 1999, Buchanan Group managed Trinity Memorial Gardens in Tampa, Florida, which is one of the state’s most beautiful and well-maintained combinations.

In 2001 Flanner Buchanan launched its cost-sensitive brand, Legacy Funeral & Cremation Services.

In 2005 Flanner and Buchanan launched the Cremation Center of Indiana, a crematory offering state-of-the-art services and products in downtown Indianapolis.

In 2008 Washington Park Cemetery built and dedicated a memorial to the Indiana National Guard. This is the first memorial of its kind to a state’s National Guard. HoosierPatriotMemorial.com.

In 2008 Buchanan Group launched Private Label, a cost-alternative casket master distributorship. That same year Buchanan Group renovated a 20,000 sq. ft. factory in downtown Indianapolis to consolidate staff, Private Label, and its Millennium Memorials businesses.

In 2009 Washington Park North Cemetery opened Kessler Woods, Central Indiana’s first all-natural “green” cemetery.

In 2011, Buchanan Group purchased Fewell Monument in Scottsburg, Indiana. Fewell is known for its high-quality laser engravings and custom memorials. The company delivered over 6 million pounds of granite in 2020.

In 2014 Fewell Monument relocated to a new 22-acre campus in Scottsburg, Indiana.

In March 2014 Flanner Buchanan opened their first funeral/event center concept in Fishers, Indiana.

In 2015 Buchanan Group’s Millennium Memorials was consolidated into Fewell Monument.

In 2016 Lavenia & Summers Home For Funerals, a firm that serves an African-American clientele, was acquired.

In 2018 Private Label sold its 100,000th casket.

In 2019 Buchanan Group consolidated their offices with Flanner Buchanan in the Riverside neighborhood near downtown Indianapolis.

This facility houses one of the largest care centers in the nation, administrative offices and event space.

In 2021 Flanner Buchanan celebrated its 140th anniversary as a family-owned firm.

In 2022 Hamilton Memorial Park opened the “Prairie Waters” funeral and event center in Westfield, Indiana.

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