Thomas Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard,” published in 1751:
Beneath those rugged elms, that yew tree’s shade,
Where heaves the turf in many a moldering heap,
Each in his narrow cell forever laid,
The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.
On the property of Washington Place School House, built in the early 1800's, is an abandoned cemetery.
The backdrop for the Cemetery at Washington Place School House is the constant sound of cars whizzing by on a busy street in Livingston, NJ. Invisible to the passersby, overgrown with brush and weeds, is the sacred burial ground of people from an era gone by.
Who are these people?
What were their lives like?
Will we ever know?
Does anyone stop by to pay their respects?
Does anyone still care?
The graves were established between 1787 and 1896. Of the 22 people laid to rest here, 7 are children under 10 years of age. The youngest was 8 days old and the oldest was 84 years old.
A 4 month old baby...
A 60 year old wife...
The dates and names and tombstones tell the stories of their lives.
CEMETERY AT WASHINGTON PLACE SCHOOL HOUSE, LIVINGSTON TOWNSHIP, ESSEX CO., N.J.
- Robert, son of David & Elizabeth BALDWIN, d. 11 Nov 1787, ae 8 dys
- Enos, son of David & Elizabeth BALDWIN, d. 25 Jun 1789, ae 4 mos, 9 dys
- Phebe, 3d wife of Capt. Enos BALDWIN, d. 25 May 1806, in the 60th year of her age
- Sarah, wife of Enos BALDWIN, d. 4 Nov 1793, in the 71 year of her age
- Capt. Enos BALDWIN d. 21 Dec 1807, ae 84 yrs
- Elizabeth, widow of David BALDWIN, d. 19 Nov 1844, ae 75 yrs, 6 mos
- David BALDWIN d. 12 Dec 1836, ae 71 yrs
- Moses BALDWIN d. 12 Jul 1833, in the 43d year of his age
- Betsey F., wife of Moses BALDWIN, d. 17 Nov 1831, in the 32nd year of her age
- Isaac BALDWIN d. 3 Mar 1832, in the 44th year of his age
- John, son of Samuel & Lucy BALDWIN, d. 9 Sep 1784, ae 14 mos, 1 day
- Samuel BALDWIN d. 14 Jan 1821, ae 60 yrs
- Phebe Clark, daughter of Matthias & Sally SWAIME, d. 7 Apr 1805, ae 6 mos, 2 dys
- Mary, daughter of Matthias & Sally SWAIME, d. 9 Oct 1815, ae 4 yrs, 2 mos, 9 dys
- Lucy BALDWIN d. 6 Feb 1821, ae 57 yrs
- Enos BALDWIN d. 2 Oct 1823, ae 22 yrs
- Isaac, son of Isaac & Mary BALDWIN, d. 14 Aug 1833, in the 9th year of his age
- Jane CAMPFIELD d. 8 Feb 1838, in the 17th year of her age
- Harriet P., wife of Leander TRYON, d. 17 Apr 1842, in the 32 year of her age
- Florie, daughter of Francis & Louisa WRIGHT, d. 10 Jan 1898, ae 17 yrs (5 mos, 10 days handwritten)
- Rosa, daughter of Michael & Emma ECKERT, 26 Feb 1896-3 May 1896 (Emma is daughter of James BROWN whose wife was Catharine Ayres, the daughter of ---- BALDWIN)
- Abigail, wife of John SWAIME & Daniel BREWSTER, d. --- (stone broken)
THE DYING GARDEN
There were valleys lined with withering roses
Sinking into twilight like somber silhouettes
Ode to the moonlight, stilled in nighttime hours
Petals faltering with a calm indifference
Coming into death, wilting into shades of black
Row upon row of memories forlorn
With flowers marking sentiments, souring with age
Once a place where moments seemed sacredly timeless
Now callously defined, worn out by the days
Long and harsh of light, before the darkness, swallowed
With ancient markings etched on weathered stone
Above ruins of the dead and finite dust of hollow bones
Death's opulence has bred these fields of sorrow
The dying garden, bound by nature's law to be reborn
Promises all life the cycle of eternity
Requiem is defined as an act or token of remembrance.
I chose Requiem for a Dream by Clint Mansell to set the tone for these forgotten souls.
Sadly, no records of their lives could be located.
Where are they now…in the heavens?? Do they rest in peace?
The photos are hauntingly pretty... but I am a bit confused-- where does the name come from? It is an old school yard or near a school?
ReplyDeleteI was wondering the same thing...if it is located where an old school was---how creepy! I can't believe I drive by this spot all the time and have never noticed it!!
ReplyDeleteA place like this is so interesting to me. I wonder if there is surviving family in the area who aware that this cemetery exists? It doesn't look taken care of and I think from what your post said there doesn't even seem to be information about who these people are. It leaves a lot of unanswered questions!
ReplyDeleteI think I may be a descendent of the Baldwin's in this cemetery. I live in Idaho- I wonder who will take care of it?
DeleteI am always deeply saddened by these kinds of spaces, particularly when I think that any remaining links to the cemetery as an active place of remembrance or grieving have also been lost. How do memorialize the loss of memory?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there are places where historical societies or other groups of people just pick up the task, especially when there may not be an "famous" people buried. In our busy lives, when it is hard to keep in contact with all of our own living family and friends, how do we find time for the memories of people in these types of cemeteries?
Wow...so sad. I love the photo you included of the rose. It looks as though it is crying for all of those who have been laid to rest.
ReplyDelete~Gaby
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteVery sad! When I go to a cemetery that is "kept up" I get very discouraged and upset when I see grass growing over a headstone or uneven plots, but this cemetery needs so much work! How upsetting for those poor people laid to rest there.
ReplyDeleteKathryn
To answer Amy S & Susan, yes the cemetery is next to property that was once an old school house.
ReplyDeleteAt the very beginning of my post I stated:
"On the property of Washington Place School House, built in the early 1800's, is an abandoned cemetery."
There is a small house directly next to the cemetery but it is not the old school house anymore & really did not tie into the focus of my post. It looks like a small rundown rental house that has an addition...couldn't tell for sure if someone was living there or not.
Since the focus of my post was the cemetery, I didn't include the pix I took of the house.
Hope that helps clarify.
Thanks, I suppose I was confused.
ReplyDeleteWow, your post really made me think. Each day I pass a cemetery and never really give it too much thought. but the way that you identified the people on the tombstones made me think about who is in the cemetery I drive past every day. What wonderful things did these people do and how did they end up in the cemetery.
ReplyDeleteI very recently lost my Aunt. Your post helped me to not only grieve for her, but to reflect on what can be done so who people were, regardless of fame are remembered. For this, I truly thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting- this is my family...
ReplyDeleteTo address the questions: Does anyone stop by to pay their respects? Does anyone still care? The answers are both YES. My cousin and I visited there today. We are related to Louisa and Florie - mother and daughter. Thanks for posting the pictures and information about this special place.
ReplyDelete