Old Wethersfield Village Cemetery facts for kids
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| Details | |
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| Established | 1638 |
| Location |
1 Marsh St., Wethersfield, Connecticut
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The Wethersfield Village Cemetery is a very old burial ground in Wethersfield, Connecticut. It has a long history, showing how people were buried in the past. This cemetery is a special place where you can learn about the early days of Connecticut.
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A Look Back: Cemetery History
This historic cemetery was started in 1638. The town of Wethersfield created it on a place called Hungry Hill. In those early days, during the colonial period, burying people was different. Families did not have to pay for burial spots. People could be buried almost anywhere there was space in the ground.
Early Gravestones: Wood and Rocks
Even though the cemetery was used in the 1600s, not many gravestones from that time are still around today. This is because the very first markers were often made of wood. Others were simple fieldstones, which are just rocks found in fields. Over many years, these materials broke down and disappeared.
It was also hard to get fancy gravestones back then. There were no local artists who carved stones. So, a gravestone had to be bought from far away and shipped to Wethersfield. This made them very expensive. Only the richest families could afford a proper stone marker.
Gravestones Become More Common
By the 1700s, gravestones became much easier to find. Many were brought in from areas like Portland, Bolton, and Manchester. Stone carvers who worked with a type of rock called brownstone were very popular. Brownstone is a reddish-brown sandstone. Some famous carvers included the Stanclift family and the Thomas Johnsons.
Other gravestones were made from a grey rock called schist. This rock was also carved by skilled artists. A few markers made of slate were also shipped from the Boston area. These slate stones often had interesting designs, like skull images.
Wethersfield's First Carver
In the 1790s, a man named Samuel Galpin moved to Wethersfield. He became the town's first person to carve gravestones. Samuel Galpin was very popular in Wethersfield and nearby towns. He carved many beautiful tombstones from brownstone during the early 1800s.
Gallery
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Brownstone marker of Armiger Leonard Chester dated 1648
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Brownstone Markers from the 1710s carved by the Stanclift Family of Portland
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View of gravestones and brownstone table marker
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Looking over the rear burying ground
