NJHUNTER-L Archives

From: <>
Subject: Re: [NJHUNTER] Obscure Graveyards
Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2000 00:25:08 EDT

I would offer a suggestion to those visiting old cemeteries, particularly
small family plots which may be threatened. Record the GPS coordinates of
the headstones. A hand-held GPS with excellent accuracy can be purchased for
about $100 now. Since Clinton turned off selective availability in May,
these devices are accurate to within about 50 feet just about anywhere on the
planet. This means, that even if an old cemetery is flattened (something we
don't want to see, but yet it still happens), at least future generations
will know where the graveyard (and actual stones) once were. I use a GPS on
all my X-country drives to locate gravestones, cellar holes, old homes, etc.
Just something else to consider.

The first course of action should remain to keep this cemetery protected
during the development phase. I know since there were concerns a few years
ago regarding the Vliet Cemetery off Persons Road, near Rte. 173 in
Bloomsbury. This cemetery was threatended by development, but it looks like
it should be safe for now. This is where my 3rd and 4th great grandparents
are buried, namely Maj Gen Garret Vliet and wife Lydia Eckman and Capt Daniel
Vliet and 2nd wife Charity Blackwell.

Glenn Van Vliet in OKC

In a message dated 9/16/2000 09:14:07 AM Central Daylight Time,
writes:

<< Subj: [NJHUNTER] Obscure Graveyards
Date: 9/16/2000 09:14:07 AM Central Daylight Time
From: (Beverly G. Kirby-McDonough)
To:

Thank you, Andrew, for your response.

I will take the advice and begin to photograph and transcribe the
headstones in the THARP / GARRISON cemetery at Bethlehem Township.
These records will be submitted to the Hunterdon County Historical
Society at Flemington in Hunterdon County for future reference.

As we know, in the "olden days" Hunterdon was primarily an
agricultural area. Farmers usually had large families, and maintained
between 150 to 250 acres per farm. Many of these familys buried there
loved ones (and slaves) on the farm itself, often with crude markers
or none at all.

Presently, residential development is *booming* in Hunterdon. The old
farms are being sub-divided and sold off to developers, who try to put
as many expensive homes on one site that local zoning laws will allow.
In fact, there is an article this week in the Hunterdon Democrat
whereby one of these old farms in Union or Alexandria Township is
under threat of condemnation. A local school board wants to build a
new school on the site. The elderly farmer is pictured in a
wheelchair, suffering from MS, just wanting to keep his property
within his family. However, the school board and township contend
that their actions are for "the public good". Again, a battle was
lost to maintain an old farm on Creagar Road in High Bridge. And now,
we have a nice new golf course there. I suppose this is called
"progress".

For those interested, here is a list of little-known, small family
cemeteries that I know of in my area. I believe all of them are
located on private property.

Robbins Family Cemetery - Route 579, Union Township
Ruple / Rupel Cemetery - Route 625, Alexandria Township
Tharp / Garrison Cemetery - Route 579, Alexandria Township
Vanderbelt / Vanderbuilt Cemetery - Route 519, Alexandria Township

Please send a message to the list if you know of others.

Thanks,

Beverly G. Kirby-McDonough
Holland Township, HC, NJ

----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Johnson" <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, September 16, 2000 9:25 AM
Subject: [NJHUNTER] Graveyards


> Dear Beverly Kirby-McDonough:
> I am not versed in the local situation in New Jersey nor of
its
> laws but I do know what can happen. Where residential development
> begins to encroach and where a cemetery is uncared for, the
gravestones
> will disappear and all information concerning the dead interred
there
> will be forever lost. The only real solution to the problem is to
> photograph each and every headstone and preserve the information
> thereon. If you have the means to do that in this case or know of
> someone who could do that and then turn in the work to one of the
active
> genealogical societies for permanent preservation, by all means do
it.
> If laws can be passed which would make such graveyards
> historical sites, they need to be passed if they are not already on
the
> books. Our heritage stands in jeopardy if these graveyards are not
> preserved and recorded. I hope you can do something to do this.
> Sincerely
>
> Andrew Johnson
>
> <> >>

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