Recently, we took a ride to Stockbridge, MA. Not a place we've visited often, and on that day no particular destination was planned. That is often the time when the best discoveries happen and on this particular day, we found ourselves exploring the historic and beautiful, Stockbridge Cemetery.
First, a little about Stockbridge history: Stockbridge was settled by British missionaries in 1734, who established it as a praying town for the Stockbridge Indians, an indigenous Mohican tribe. The township was set aside for the tribe by Massachusetts colonists as a reward for their assistance against the French in the French and Indian Wars. The Rev. John Sergeant, from Newark, New Jersey, was their first missionary. First chartered as Indian Town in 1737, the village was incorporated on June 22, 1739, as Stockbridge. The missionaries named it after Stockbridge in Hampshire, England. Although the Massachusetts General Court had assured the Stockbridge Indians that their land would never be sold, the agreement was rescinded. Despite the aid by the Tribe to the American Patriots during the Revolutionary War, their lands in Stockbridge were stolen by white townspeople. The Tribe was forced to relocate west, first to New York and then to Wisconsin. The village was taken over by European American settlers. With the arrival of the railroad in 1850, Stockbridge developed as a summer resort for the wealthy of Boston and other major cities. Many large houses, called Berkshire Cottages, were built in the area before World War I and the advent of the income tax. Stockbridge was home to several cottages, including Naumkeag, (as seen below from the back edge of the cemetery). Wikipedia
Two and a half centuries of history is buried in the Stockbridge Cemetery, as well as many of the people who made Stockbridge what it is today. The initial land for this cemetery was cleared in 1748. One of the first buried here was John Sergeant. Members of the Mohican tribe were also buried here. In 1853, the Laurel Hill Association, the village beautification society, took over the management of the cemetery and the cemetery was expanded. Today the cemetery is maintained by the Town of Stockbridge. Plots are free but perpetual care will cost you $500.
Probably one of the most famous people laid to rest here is Norman Rockwell, artist and illustrator. Mr. Rockwell died in Stockbridge of emphysema in 1978. We actually almost missed his grave as it's set in a back corner of the cemetery. Luckily it was noted on our GPS and we went back to find it. Considering his fame and accomplishments, his grave is quite a simple and humble memorial, especially compared to some of the very elaborate monuments found in the 1800's.
As we drive through this and other historic cemeteries, the thing that strikes us is how many babies and children succumbed to what was probably diseases that are now preventable or curable....so, so many. Also noteworthy is how elaborate the monuments were back then. Stones vary from the very simple slab to the most ornate. You'll see examples of both in the photos below.
Coimetrophilia is: 1. A special fondness and interest in cemeteries or graveyards; especially, in collecting epitaphs that are written on the tombstones. 2. A fascination with seeing gravestones and sarcophagi. I'd never heard this word, but considering how much time we spend in our local cemeteries, this just might apply. Here's a sampling of some of the memorials - from the simple to the elaborate, all commemorating someone who once lived, died and was laid to rest in Stockbridge,MA.
