This is part of a series of Hamilton and Wenham, Massachusetts, oral histories of the towns, produced by William Heitz and Edmund Josephs from 1986 through 1995. It was originally taped on January 27, 1994. It was uploaded to the Internet Archive by Sarah Lauderdale, Head of Reference at Hamilton-Wenham Public Library, on Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Our thanks to William Heitz for permission to upload this content to the Internet Archive. Our thanks also to volunteer John Brucker for his description of the interview, included below.
Summary:
Early history of the cemetery and earliest burials [late 1600s], Documentation of grave stones by Wellington Poole [1882], Mapping of burial ground by R.K. Tar Harold [1940s], Origins of graveyard inventory project [1987] and importance of the project, Artwork of gravestones, layout of cemetery, Efforts to prevent deterioration of gravestones, effect of acid rain on gravestones, Monument dedicated to Wenham founders and soldiers in unmarked graves, Significance of footstones, Using carvings as a method to date stones, Cost to create a gravestone, Tour of friends section of graveyard including Batchelder and Kimball families, accuracy and documentation of town burial records, Gravestone quotes, Reverend Gerrish vault.
Keywords:
The following names and terms were used in this interview: Wenham Cemetery, Sheep Grazing, Tars Hill, Wellington Poole, RK Tar Harold, Cemetery commission, Book: A graveyard preservation primer, Antipas Newman, Wenham Museum, sandstone, slate, marble, granite, flagstone, acid rain, The Monument, Dodge tomb, Family gravesites, Foot stones, Skull and crossbones, Skull and wing, Urns, Willow, stone cutting, flush stones, Gravestone photography methods, burial records, Reverend Gerrish
