Local History

The Old Burying Ground in an Upstate, almost-Vermont, New York village dates from 1769. Nearby is an idle fairgrounds. Official historical signage indicates: “More Revolutionary soldiers are buried here than any other cemetery in the county.” An informational booklet, available from the graveyard mailbox, reports: “In 1810, a stone wall was erected to protect the cemetery from vandalism and the theft of gravestones. A cemetery supervisor was hired to manage the use of the cemetery.” I look around for the supervisor, to no avail. Furthermore, the booklet explains, renovation work on the cemetery—including a map and burial index—was begun at the turn of the new millennium, but in recent years “work has come to stop.” Alas, funds, if not time, have run out for the Old Burying Ground.