I do not know how long it takes for an abandoned cemetery to become public
domain. However, the National Forests in the entire eastern half of the US
were created from 40 to 80 % from former private land. We have cemeteries
all over the places. If any maintenace is done of them, it is done by
private individuals or groups. On our forest, we record 3-4 cemeteries,
family plots on old farm sites or individual graves per yer (Larry, I have
a report with a couple of large cemeteries coming to your survey station
soon). Usually only 10 to 15 percent of the graves have engraved stone
markers. We record and photograph everything we can but make to special
effort as described in the "gravestone rubbings" thread. Most were active
from the 1870s thru the 1930s so the deterioration of the stone will not be
as severe as really early cemeteries in other locations. When it can, the
Forest Circus (typo) trys to give these sites to local county cemetery
associations. They will ocassionally repair a fence but otherwise practice
"flag and avoid".
Smoke
Smoke (Michael A.) Pfeiffer, RPA
Ozark-St. Francis National Forests
605 West Main Street
Russellville, Arkansas 72801
(479) 968-2354 Ext. 233
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.
George Myers
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Sent by: Subject: Re: safe gravestone rubbing
HISTORICAL
ARCHAEOLOGY
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04/15/2004 06:57
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Please respond to
HISTORICAL
ARCHAEOLOGY
Perhaps on the same topic, are people aware of the legislation that might
be
in place for their cemeteries? I am under the impression that abandoned
cemeteries (those that no longer usually have a church structure) are in
some cases property of the local municipality (i.e., New York's largest
areal town, the Town of Brookhaven, on Long Island, NY), and it is written
into law.
Which reminds me of the bits of land that the surveyors missed in New
Jersey
they become part of the "freeholders" and there and other states are
auctioned off, I imagine to the abutters.
My last cemetery job was in "The Old Soldiers Cemetery" on 180th St. in the
Bronx, NY. There are veterans from four wars there up to and including WWI,
though I think a statistical assignation for a former congregation, that
became the toponym over the Civil War statue of a soldier in the middle of
it. In part of it old stones are stood together from the time of the
widening of the road, a main thoroughfare, a bridge over the Bronx River
there, moved out of the way. The City replaced two sides of the fence
around
it. It also had two mortar pieces moved to Fort Schuyler, though the sign
for them is there but not them perhaps moved again. A large former
Presbyterian church, not the original, but perhaps shared the cemetery, is
extant on the other side of the street near the new Vidalia Park and
Playground.
So generally, are abandoned cemeteries part of eminent domain? The
Methodist
and Quaker cemeteries were moved out of Manhattan in the Bowery. Two marble
vault cemeteries, the first nondenominational ones in the City are nearby.
President Monroe was once buried in one before reinterred in Hollywood
Cemetery in Virginia, as similarly was Swedish inventor Ericcson both
former
residents of NYC. Later findings nearby of burials on a 2nd Ave. court site
resulted in special State Legislation giving the Dept. of Education power
to
move the former Methodist burials, at the end of the 19th century.
George Myers
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