Gee, thanks Smoke! I don't even have all the other zillion forest site forms
filed yet!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Pfeiffer" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2004 8:24 AM
Subject: Abandoned Cemeteries (was: Re: safe gravestone rubbing)
> 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
> <georgejmyersjr@H To: [log in to unmask]
> OTMAIL.COM> cc:
> Sent by: Subject: Re: safe
gravestone rubbing
> HISTORICAL
> ARCHAEOLOGY
> <[log in to unmask]
> >
>
>
> 04/15/2004 06:57
> AM
> 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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