Vermont's old cemeteries tell stories of lives lived in a different timeBy Kristin Mcdonald
Photography by Hubert Schriebl
Maybe it's the natural human curiosity surrounding death, the mystery of the afterlife, or the tantalizing possibility of the existence of ghosts, but graveyards seem to fascinate us. For some, they may be dark, foreboding, creepy places you wouldn't want to visit except during the bright of day. In our corner of New England, however, cemeteries attract thousands of visitors each year. Many graves are very old, and the markers are hand-inscribed with folk art and final messages about the lost lives buried there. Although some of the stones have been damaged by time and the harshness of natural elements, the cemeteries are tidy and well maintained by local groups who have a reverence for the past and pride in their heritage. Many of the old cemeteries have walking paths, some have bridges and brooks. And with the Green Mountains in the distance as a backdrop, they are peaceful and picturesque, prompting meditation and reflection. They seem to invite you in, saying, "take a walk through history, visit our founding fathers, our Revolutionary and Civil War heroes, our artists and poets; learn of the tragic and all-too-brief lives of some of our first community members. Come hear the long-ago stories of an older, simpler time of life."
Bennington County has dozens of cemeteries (one Internet site lists 96), including family graveyards and individual graves on personal property. Bennington resident Lynne Cassano knows old graves-she spearheaded a project to document every grave in Bennington. She says at one time there were at least twenty three gravesites in Bennington alone. One of them is the Bennington Centre Cemetery, next to the Old First Church in Old Bennington. Established in 1762, it is the oldest cemetery in Vermont. On weekends and holidays, out-of-town visitors walk the paths to view the final resting place of five Vermont governors: a mass grave of American, British and Hessian/Brunswicker soldiers who were casualties of the Battle of Bennington; the poet Robert Frost; and other notables. Other visible cemeteries along historic Route 7A include Dellwood in Manchester, Ira Allen in Sunderland, St. James Churchyard in Arlington, Shaftsbury Center, next to the Shaftsbury Historical Society, and Shaftsbury Village, each with its own familiar names of local notables....