Note by Phyllis Brown: This is my 200th post! Thanks to all my subscribers and everyone who visits Kentucky Kindred! I love sharing my genealogy adventures and information with everyone! Now on to the next 200!
Sunday Afternoon Cemetery Tour
Last Sunday our day was spent driving the backroads of Washington County, looking for small cemeteries and taking gravestone photos. We actually follow maps since it is easy to get lost on the tiny roads – some that are so small it’s hard to meet an oncoming car! At the rate the older stones are deteriorating it will be impossible to photograph all in the neighboring counties before they are unreadable. This is an important part of our heritage. No one should be forgotten.
I photographed all the stones at Hillsboro Church – many have been broken and removed! This church is no longer used for services. The sky was such a gorgeous blue! At a cemetery at the corner of Coulter Road and Glenn Creek Lane the grass was waist high! We will return in late fall and try to get better pictures.
We tried to find several other small cemeteries on our map, but with no luck. As we were driving back to Harrodsburg Ritchey asked if I had ever been to the Old Mud Meeting House, one of only two that have survived in Kentucky. I had not. Then he told me a cemetery was beside the meeting house. I was excited, but not prepared for what we found. This was a Dutch Reformed Church, established by 50 families who came to Mercer County from Pennsylvania in 1781. There are 25 – count them – 25 Revolutionary War veterans buried in this cemetery! The Sons of the American Revolution have placed plaques with their name, birth and death dates, the name of their regiment and their rank.
Many of the stones are in bad shape – lichens are destroying them little by little. Erosion from the elements plays its part, too. Both sides of this stone look alike – the writing has faded – time has taken its toll.
My goal is to get good pictures of each stone and each plaque; and draw a map of the placement of stones. If not done now, in a few years most of the stones will be unreadable.
This is a fairly large cemetery, all old stones – with a few of the above ground monuments that were popular at one time. A couple of these are crumbled and broken. The Old Mud House is being restored to be viewed and enjoyed by future generations – the cemetery needs the same care – to be photographed and cataloged for posterity. I will do everything I can to accomplish that goal!
Categories: Cemeteries, Family Stories, Genealogy Ramblings
I stumbled across your blog this morning looking for info on Hillsboro Cem. I have 5 gravesites I would love to have a pic.
My 4th great grandparents:
John A Harvey (Harvie) 1770-1815?
Nancy Lewis Harvey 1773-???
My 3rd great grandparents:
Lewis Harvey 1801-1833 (or 1834)
Ann (Cobb Harvey) Cheatham 1797-1902 Yes, the dates are pretty close. Family story is – she was over 100 years old.
Also, Obediah Cheatham 1807-1899 I am not related to Mr Cheatham, but he was married to my 3rd g grandmother when he died and I don’t know if she is buried next to him or her first husband, Lewis Harvey (my blood line).
My husband is unable to travel and I live out of state. Did you happen to see these gravestones? It would mean a great deal to me.
I checked the pictures I took at our recent trip to Hillsboro Church Cemetery and could not find anyone in your list. However, many of the older stones have been removed. I will check other sources for you.
I was wondering if you could tell me if you happen to have any photos of stones for John Clarke (d. in 1839) or wife Anna Whitten Clarke (d. in 1845), taken at the Hillsboro Church Cemetery? They are my 4th g-grandparents and I just found out their burial location. I’m told there are other Clarke’s buried there also. I’d love to have pics!
I’ve checked my files and do not have any pictures of their stones. So many of the older stones have been removed from this cemetery. If I get any more information I will let you know.
Thank you so much for replying to my query. I’m confused, if the stones were removed, are you saying the bodies were physically moved also, or just their stones? And where would the stones be now? And what was the purpose in moving them? Do you know if you saw a stone for Jemimah Adcock in Hillsboro? She would be a daughter to John and Anna Clarke and died 1854 in Washington County. Thanks!
The bodies were not moved, just the stones. A road was made through the graveyard – I can’t believe they actually did that! Some of the stones were broken and they were thrown away. I’ll check on Jemimah Adcock.
Thank you! How horrible about the road…….
I just discovered this cemetery online this month. I think I have a relative buried there named Valentine Myers. I thought it rather strange that he is my brick wall and I stumble onto a blog that has the very same cemetery he is supposed to be buried in. Have you finished photographing all the tombstones yet? Becky
I mentioned three cemeteries in the post – Hillsborough, Coulter Road and Mud Meeting House – in which one is your ancestor buried? I’ll check my photos.
Just wanted to let you know there are probably MORE than 25 Revolutionary War veterans buried in the Old Mud graveyard. We are still researching. The new markers were paid for by the LOW DUTCH COUSINS OF KENTUCKY, a group of descendants of the veterans. The SAR did perform a memorial ceremony after the placement of the stones in 2007 & 2009. In 2013 we purchased eight more markers which are placed around the flagpole. We have worked hard raising funds to restore the Old Mud Meeting House built by our ancestors, and we gather there to worship in the odd-numbered years since 2005. The Harrodsburg Historical Society owns the property. Some of those markers are in memory of veterans who were buried elsewhere in Mercer county and whose graves have been lost. We compiled a booklet with information on each veteran and state if they are known to be buried elsewhere. A copy of that booklet is in the Harrodsburg Historical Society, where they maintain a special Low Dutch Archives. Our next project is to restore the 1900 schoolhouse next to the Church. You can read more about our group at http://www.DutchCousins.org
Fascinating info!