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| click to enlarge and you will see gravestones on top of the wall |
According to Dorothy Goldman of the Friends of Forest Hill Cemetery, this is where the groundskeepers keep the stones as they try to identify the engravings and then replace them in the proper spots. Please be aware that this is Derry's only cemetery, dating back to 1722 with the first burials of the original Ulster Scots settlers in Nutfield, New Hampshire.
http://www.forest-hill-1721.webs.com/ The Friends of Forest Hill Cemetery website
Click here for a previous post about the "First Settlers" buried at Forest Hill Cemetery http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/11/tombstone-tuesday-derrys-first-settlers.html
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Copyright 2011, Heather Wilkinson Rojo
So many broken stones is terrible. I've seen them organized like that in other cemeteries. I think I'm going to have to make a trip to Derry in the spring before any more damage is done.
ReplyDeleteIs this because of natural damage or vandals? I suppose I could make allowances for them if they had stacked these before the snow fall but I hope they all get returned to their rightful spots ASAP!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting Heather..unbelievable. My brother, his wife and a son are buried at Forest Hill. I'll have to check this out when I go to visit their graves again.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how they were taken out of the ground or why in the first place etc.
Lucie
Looks like they are way behind in the identifying project. Something tells me they will remain piled up until action is taken. Hope you can make that trip to Derry in the spring, Marian. Something needs to be done!
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone. Most of these are small footstones which have fallen over or haven't identifying engravings. Some have initials only, which makes them hard to identify. I don't think there has been any vandalism. The Friends of Forest Hill have been trying to help out with returning them to their rightful spots. Dorothy and her crew need more help, because the cemetery is so large and there were no good records kept on who is buried where until recently.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, that kind of makes my stomach churn!
ReplyDeleteHow sad!! There is an entire wall of broken gravestones in the Colonial Park Cemetery here in Savannah. They are attached to the wall permanently though.
ReplyDeleteWhat a terrible sight!!
ReplyDeleteMy mouth was absolutely handing open! I hope they at least have records showing who was buried where. I'm sure so many of those stones are almost completely faded!
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