HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe remaking of a cemetery 2015 Sue Thompson NL ArticleRemembering Our Past through Cemeteries
Sue Thompson Enfield Town Historian
The Enfield Cemetery Committee has placed their attention to restore and recover full access to Christian Cemetery, on Enfield Main Road. We met a few weeks ago to continue the repair
work started by Roger Laue and others. First project was to retrieve the headstones left in the hedgerow. Many of the stones we found were broken (weather damaged before they were
placed there) or “foot stones”. Our next project will be to repair some of the broken head stones. Watch for the next “work” meeting announcement on our town website: www.townofenfield.org.
Enfield history and tradition comes to light in Enfield’s Christian cemetery which spans nearly two centuries.The cemetery’s oldest stone is that of the son of David and Rebecca Beachwho
died September 7, 1827. The Christian Church connected to the cemetery was established in 1821. The church building was located in front of the cemetery its doors very close to what
is now State Route 327, Enfield Main Road. You can see where the church was located by viewing an aerial photo at https://aerial-ny.library.cornell.edu photo ARU1-45, June 30, 1938.
It is unclear if there were two church buildings or the first building was just renovated in 1880. The building was sold and taken down in 1938 and transported to the west side of
Cayuga Lake and converted into cottages and docks by Fred Frazer. The cemetery was taken care of by families with relatives buried in the cemetery. The care became very erratic and
was then turned over for care to the Town of Enfield.
The back section of the cemetery contains the oldest stones some of the most unique and artistic as well. Though some of the oldest stones have fallen victim to the ravage of time and
weather, one has been preserved from 1851 which belongs toJudah Baker. Judah was born in 1763 and was one of the first settlers in the town. Judah enlisted from Fredericktown, Dutchess
County, New York, in the Revolutionary War as a Private in the fall of 1777; he was 14 years old at the time. With his unit he helped the guard locate “deserters” inMorristown. He
was dismissed from Fishkill and returned home after 3 months. He again enlisted in 1779 for 3 months. He was in the infantry 2nd NY regiment of Regular Troops with Captain Hottete.
During that time he was located at Stoney Point, Hackensack and then back to Stoney Point and home to Fredericktown. He was married to Lydia Chase who is also buried in the cemetery.
Some epitaphs are caustic or loving remembrances and one or two are even cryptic messages to those who remain.
John Newbury stone of 1830 reads: Stop and see as you pass by as you are now so once was I As I am now so you must be prepare to die and follow me.
Words inscribed on the Reverend Jabez Chadwick stone “Servant of God well done. Rest from thy loved employ. The battle fought, the victory won. Enter thy masters joy.” This indicates
his passion in life of his religious belief. Reverend Chadwick was ordained in 1801 and was a Presbyterian minister in Salem, Massachusetts. After serving the church there for many
years he moved with his family to Camillus, NY. It was noted after this move he was mentioned as “first minister” in many local communities helping to organize the churches in Dryden,
Groton, Burdett, Enfield, and Genoa.He broke from the Presbyterians due to his change of view on the mode of baptism and joined the Baptists. He published many small publications on
religion. The ‘Bible Dictionary” a dollar book of about 400 pages was the largest of his works. He received his qualifications as a teacher and taught in many community “common schools”.
He died at Enfield Center on February 20, 1857, the age of 78 years after being sick for one week.
One last remembrance of those buried in this cemetery is that of Hattie Ford (1863-1864) daughter of James and Harriet Ford,she is watched over by a smallwhite lamb head stone. These
are few of the people who left their mark upon our town, and its mark which makes our town special.