Old Newton Burial Ground facts for kids
The wrought iron gates of the Burial Ground near Main Street
|
|
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1762 |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Owned by | Newton Cemetery Company |
| Size | 1.66 acres (0.67 ha) |
| No. of interments | 1,287 transcribed |
The Old Newton Burial Ground is a very old and important cemetery in Newton, Sussex County, New Jersey. For about 100 years, starting in 1762, it was the main place where people in Newton were buried.
As the burial ground became full, a new cemetery was opened in 1867 by the Newton Cemetery Company. Even after this, some burials still happened at the Old Newton Burial Ground until 1943. This historic site holds the graves of many local families. It also includes important people like political leaders, well-known citizens, and brave veterans.
Today, the Old Newton Burial Ground is no longer used for new burials. It is about 1.66 acres in size. The Newton Cemetery Company owns the land. They work with the Sussex County Historical Society and the Sussex County Sheriff's Office to take care of it. In 1992, the Old Newton Burial Ground was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as a special historical site.
Contents
The History of Old Newton Burial Ground
The Old Newton Burial Ground started in 1762. It was part of a plan by Jonathan Hampton to create the town of Newton. This plan included the area around the county's courthouse and the town green.
Expanding the Burial Ground
The burial ground grew bigger two times. In 1820, a man named Daniel Stuart gave about 0.4 acres of land. This land was added to the northeast side of the graveyard. Later, in 1837, Job and Ann Halstead gave another 0.59 acres. They gave it to the town's Presbyterian church. They wanted it to be a place where "all persons" could bury their loved ones.
The Stone Wall and Gates
In 1837, a stone wall was built around the entire graveyard. Before that, it had a wooden fence. About 100 feet of this stone wall was removed in 1966. It was replaced with a chain-link fence. The main entrance to the cemetery is on Main Street. It has beautiful double cast-iron gates. These gates were once decorated with special medallions. One of these medallions, showing "Father Time" with a scythe and hourglass, can still be seen today.
Who is Buried Here?
The Old Newton Burial Ground is the resting place for many families. These families helped Newton and the surrounding areas grow in the 1700s and 1800s. You can find graves of local and state political leaders here. There are also local business leaders and important citizens.
Many veterans are buried here too. They fought in different wars, such as the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, the Barbary War, the War of 1812, and the American Civil War.
How Many Graves?
No one knows the exact number of people buried here. The old records are not complete. In 1876, a local newspaper thought there were at least 5,000 burials. A historian named George Watson Roy counted tombstones. He found 3,023 visible graves. However, the Sussex County Historical Society has a list of 1,287 known individual graves.
Historic Recognition
On September 24, 1992, the Old Newton Burial Ground was added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. This was part of the Newton Town Plot Historic District. It was then approved for the National Register of Historic Places on November 12, 1992. This historic district covers 17.20 acres and includes 56 important buildings and properties.
The Newton Cemetery Company oversees the property. They work with the Sussex County Historical Society and the Sussex County Sheriff's Office to keep it maintained. This partnership was started by historian Robert R. Longcore. The burial ground is also next to the Negro Burial Ground.
Notable People Buried at Old Newton Burial Ground
Many interesting people are buried at the Old Newton Burial Ground. Here are a few of them:
- Colonel Thomas Anderson (1742–1805): A lawyer and judge who served in the American Revolution. He was also the Sussex County Surrogate.
- Thomas Oakley Anderson (1783–1844): A United States naval officer. He was involved in the burning of the USS Philadelphia in Tripoli during the Barbary Wars. He was the son of Colonel Thomas Anderson.
- William T. Anderson (1777–1850): An attorney and a New Jersey state senator in 1821.
- The Rev. Walter Chamberlin (1822–1909): A Methodist clergyman who served churches in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.
- The Rev. James Cooke Edwards (1807–1880): A Presbyterian minister who served in New York City, Smithtown, New York, and Morristown, New Jersey.
- Colonel Grant Fitch (1782–1848): He founded and published The New Jersey Herald newspaper in 1829.
- David Ryerson (1782–1848): A New Jersey state senator in the 1820s and 1830s.
- Henry Ogden Ryerson (1826–1864): A Colonel in the American Civil War. He was a prisoner of war and was killed at the Battle of Spotsylvania. He was the son of Thomas C. Ryerson.
- Thomas Coxe Ryerson (1788–1838): An attorney and a justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1834 to 1838. He was also a New Jersey state senator.
- The Rev. Dr. Joseph Linn Shafer (1787–1853): He was the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Newton for many years.
- The Rev. Garrett Van Horn (1816–1882): A minister at the Newton Methodist Church and later in Middletown, Orange County, New York.
Gallery
-
View of the graveyard seen from inside the gates
-
Detail of the "Father Time" medallion on the burial ground's wrought iron gates
-
Grave of Revolutionary War officer Major Richard Boyd, died 1792
-
Grave of naval officer and Barbary War veteran Thomas Oakley Anderson and his wife Delia
-
Graves of Job S. Halsted and his wife Ann, who gave land to enlarge the burial ground
-
Grave of the Rev. Joseph L Shafer, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Newton
