Cost is $20 per person. The tour will take approximately one and a half hours. Tickets are NOT available by phone or in person. Tickets are only available by following this link:
Eventbrite 2019 Historic Walking Tour of Albany Rural Cemetery
Showing posts with label Albany Rural Cemetery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Albany Rural Cemetery. Show all posts
10 August 2019
Albany Rural Cemetery September Walking Tour
Tickets are now available for the next Albany Rural Historic Walking Tour on September 14th. Stroll through the beautiful cemetery and stop at the graves of prominent people whom are buried in Albany Rural Cemetery. Listen to the stories of sculptor Erastus Dow Palmer, Margarita Schuyler, a daughter of General Philip Schuyler, and many more.
Cost is $20 per person. The tour will take approximately one and a half hours. Tickets are NOT available by phone or in person. Tickets are only available by following this link:
Eventbrite 2019 Historic Walking Tour of Albany Rural Cemetery
Cost is $20 per person. The tour will take approximately one and a half hours. Tickets are NOT available by phone or in person. Tickets are only available by following this link:
Eventbrite 2019 Historic Walking Tour of Albany Rural Cemetery
23 October 2018
Genealogy, Other Stuff, & Waiting... Too Long
Let's face it; many of us are procrastinators. In genealogy we should not wait too long to do tasks such as contacting people. No one knows how long someone will be upright until they lay down and head to the "marble orchard" as one of my grandfathers called the cemetery. I have waited to long to contact a distant cousin and when I did I unfortunately found out that my relative/contact had passed away. My loss.
Today, I waited too long to plug an upcoming event at Albany Rural Cemetery. A historic haunted walking tour at the cemetery scheduled for 27 October 2018. Only last night I discovered this event, I had intentions for spreading the word about it today, and today it is sold out. As the old saying goes, "the early bird gets the worm."
Today, I waited too long to plug an upcoming event at Albany Rural Cemetery. A historic haunted walking tour at the cemetery scheduled for 27 October 2018. Only last night I discovered this event, I had intentions for spreading the word about it today, and today it is sold out. As the old saying goes, "the early bird gets the worm."
25 September 2018
Autumn Garden Party and Capital Campaign at Albany Rural Cemetery
On October 14th an Autumn Garden Party will be held which will begin the campaign to restore the former residence of the Superintendent of Albany Rural Cemetery. The house was built in 1899 by noted architect Marcus T. Reynolds.
For more information on this event please contact the cemetery office at 518.463.7017 or visit their web site at AlbanyRuralCemetery.org.
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| Marcus T. Reynolds House Photo courtesy Friends of Albany Rural Cemetery |
For more information on this event please contact the cemetery office at 518.463.7017 or visit their web site at AlbanyRuralCemetery.org.
06 September 2018
Autumn Tours at Albany Rural Cemetery
Albany Rural Cemetery is hosting eight upcoming tours each with its own theme. Dates and details are below:
September 15
As part of this year's Hudson River Valley Ramble weekend, Albany Rural Cemetery will be holding a walking tour to graves reflecting the area's Dutch heritage, including some of the Cemetery's oldest and most historic points of interests such as the Dutch Reformed lot with headstones dating back to the early 18th century. There will be refreshments and more in the Chapel as well.
There will also be a limited number of free Hudson River Valley Ramble t-shirts available at the event on a first-come basis.
Tickets are $10 each.
Registration and tickets are available exclusively through Eventbrite.
DUTCH HERITAGE WALKING TOUR TICKETS
Please note that this is a walking tour that will involve hills and unpaved paths. Dress accordingly and wear appropriate shoes. Bug spray is recommended. In the event of rain, there will a presentation in the Cemetery Chapel.
Please use the Main Gate. Tour will begin at the Chapel at 10:00 a.m.
September 22
Join the Audubon Society of the Capital District and the Friends of Albany Rural Cemetery for an autumn morning bird walk. The spring bird walk was a popular event for bird enthusiasts with about thirty species birds - from brown creepers to red tail hawks - observed.
$10 per person. Register by calling or emailing the Cemetery office. Tour will begin at the Chapel.
518-463-7017
albanyruralcemetery@biznycap.rr.com
September 29
The Cemetery will again welcome the Albany Death Cafe to the Chapel at 1:00 p.m.. This popular event is a chance for people to get together and discuss all aspects of death and dying in a comfortable setting with tea and baked goods.
The event is free and open to all. Please bring your own mug.
For more information: check Death Cafe Albany on Facebook
October 5
The annual wreath-laying will take place at the grave of Chester Allen Arthur. The annual ceremony, which honors the 21st President on his birthday, will take place at 11:00 a.m.. It is free and no advance registration is needed.
October 13
A joint ceremony with the 125th Regimental Association will be held to dedicate a new military headstone for the grave of Civil War veteran Private Philip Troy. The dedication will begin at 11 a.m. in Section 112. Additional details to be announced.
October 14
A special garden party will celebrate architect Marcus T. Reynolds and his contributions to the historic landscape of A.R.C. and begin the capital campaign to restore the former superintendent’s residence, now called the 1899 Reynolds House.
October 20
Birthplace of the Iron Industry Tour in partnership with the Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway. A walk along the Wynantskill to the site of two of the most important iron production sites prior to the Civil War, followed by a visit to the graves of industrialists Henry Burden, Erastus Corning, and John Flack Winslow at Albany Rural Cemetery.
Please contact Hudson Mohawk Gateway for details and tickets.
518-274-5267
info@hudsonmohawkgateway.org
October 27
A "Haunted History" Walking Tour just in time for Halloween - watch for details!
September 15
As part of this year's Hudson River Valley Ramble weekend, Albany Rural Cemetery will be holding a walking tour to graves reflecting the area's Dutch heritage, including some of the Cemetery's oldest and most historic points of interests such as the Dutch Reformed lot with headstones dating back to the early 18th century. There will be refreshments and more in the Chapel as well.
There will also be a limited number of free Hudson River Valley Ramble t-shirts available at the event on a first-come basis.
Tickets are $10 each.
Registration and tickets are available exclusively through Eventbrite.
Please note that this is a walking tour that will involve hills and unpaved paths. Dress accordingly and wear appropriate shoes. Bug spray is recommended. In the event of rain, there will a presentation in the Cemetery Chapel.
Please use the Main Gate. Tour will begin at the Chapel at 10:00 a.m.
September 22
Join the Audubon Society of the Capital District and the Friends of Albany Rural Cemetery for an autumn morning bird walk. The spring bird walk was a popular event for bird enthusiasts with about thirty species birds - from brown creepers to red tail hawks - observed.
$10 per person. Register by calling or emailing the Cemetery office. Tour will begin at the Chapel.
518-463-7017
albanyruralcemetery@biznycap.rr.com
September 29
The Cemetery will again welcome the Albany Death Cafe to the Chapel at 1:00 p.m.. This popular event is a chance for people to get together and discuss all aspects of death and dying in a comfortable setting with tea and baked goods.
The event is free and open to all. Please bring your own mug.
For more information: check Death Cafe Albany on Facebook
October 5
The annual wreath-laying will take place at the grave of Chester Allen Arthur. The annual ceremony, which honors the 21st President on his birthday, will take place at 11:00 a.m.. It is free and no advance registration is needed.
October 13
A joint ceremony with the 125th Regimental Association will be held to dedicate a new military headstone for the grave of Civil War veteran Private Philip Troy. The dedication will begin at 11 a.m. in Section 112. Additional details to be announced.
October 14
A special garden party will celebrate architect Marcus T. Reynolds and his contributions to the historic landscape of A.R.C. and begin the capital campaign to restore the former superintendent’s residence, now called the 1899 Reynolds House.
October 20
Birthplace of the Iron Industry Tour in partnership with the Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway. A walk along the Wynantskill to the site of two of the most important iron production sites prior to the Civil War, followed by a visit to the graves of industrialists Henry Burden, Erastus Corning, and John Flack Winslow at Albany Rural Cemetery.
Please contact Hudson Mohawk Gateway for details and tickets.
518-274-5267
info@hudsonmohawkgateway.org
October 27
A "Haunted History" Walking Tour just in time for Halloween - watch for details!
04 August 2018
Storm Damage at Albany Rural Cemetery
This is a blog article that I do not enjoy writing. Last Friday, 27th of July, a fast moving thunderstorm coupled with high winds blew through the Capital District and caused extensive damage in our area. Unfortunately, Albany Rural Cemetery was hit very badly.
Late that afternoon I stopped by the cemetery after the storm to check on a plot in Section 92 for someone. I did see some large branches that had fallen near the plot of Thurlow Weed; however nothing major. Since I was on a mission I did not go elsewhere in the cemetery.
The next couple of days via Social Media and the local news it was brought to attention that major damage was found in the cemetery after the storm. The gravestones from the former Schuyler family burial plot originally located on the land which is now known as Schuyler Flatts Cultural Park in Menands on Broadway were devastatingly damaged in the storm. The Schuyler plot is on the South Ridge adjacent to St. Agnes Cemetery.
The ancient stones, many unreadable today due to weathering from lying in a prone position for many years were removed along with the remains from the original burying ground and reburied in Albany Rural Cemetery circa 1920.
Today, on the way to St. Agnes Cemetery, I drove to the site and personally saw the damage. It is very bad and might be worse when the remains of the large beech tree are finally removed. Some clearing has begun but the tree is enormous. Below are numerous photos of the damage.
Late that afternoon I stopped by the cemetery after the storm to check on a plot in Section 92 for someone. I did see some large branches that had fallen near the plot of Thurlow Weed; however nothing major. Since I was on a mission I did not go elsewhere in the cemetery.
The next couple of days via Social Media and the local news it was brought to attention that major damage was found in the cemetery after the storm. The gravestones from the former Schuyler family burial plot originally located on the land which is now known as Schuyler Flatts Cultural Park in Menands on Broadway were devastatingly damaged in the storm. The Schuyler plot is on the South Ridge adjacent to St. Agnes Cemetery.
The ancient stones, many unreadable today due to weathering from lying in a prone position for many years were removed along with the remains from the original burying ground and reburied in Albany Rural Cemetery circa 1920.
Today, on the way to St. Agnes Cemetery, I drove to the site and personally saw the damage. It is very bad and might be worse when the remains of the large beech tree are finally removed. Some clearing has begun but the tree is enormous. Below are numerous photos of the damage.
24 April 2018
Albany Rural Cemetery Talk
Here is short notice on an upcoming talk on Albany Rural Cemetery at the Bach branch of the Albany Public Library. Details are below:
Come to the Bach branch of the Albany NY Library for their monthly Let's Talk About Albany program. This month's topic will be Albany Rural Cemetery and I will be the presenter.
Sponsored by Bach Branch, NNORC and Jewish Family Services.
Space is limited so please RSVP to the Bach Branch at 518-482-2154 or NNORC at 514-2023 for more information and to reserve a place.
There will be light refreshments, too.
Come to the Bach branch of the Albany NY Library for their monthly Let's Talk About Albany program. This month's topic will be Albany Rural Cemetery and I will be the presenter.
Sponsored by Bach Branch, NNORC and Jewish Family Services.
Space is limited so please RSVP to the Bach Branch at 518-482-2154 or NNORC at 514-2023 for more information and to reserve a place.
There will be light refreshments, too.
Thursday 1 PM to 2:30 PM
Albany Public Library (Bach Branch), 455 New Scotland Avenue, 12208
04 July 2017
Tombstone Tuesday : Albany Rural Cemetery
After scrolling through pictures on computer and finding this pic of a beautiful sandstone tree grave marker, I thought it to be an excellent example of the craftsmanship that stone carvers had back in the day. Everything done by hand. I am curious how long it would take a master stone carver to do this work? I am sure the work took a lot less time than we would think.
This grave marker is in Albany Rural Cemetery. The photo was taken a few years ago and I cannot remember where. It would be easy to find the location by plugging the names into Ancestry's search engine on the ARC card file. However at this time I am enjoying the mystery and do not want to spoil it.
This grave marker is in Albany Rural Cemetery. The photo was taken a few years ago and I cannot remember where. It would be easy to find the location by plugging the names into Ancestry's search engine on the ARC card file. However at this time I am enjoying the mystery and do not want to spoil it.
21 March 2017
Tombstone Tuesday : Joseph Kline Emmet
This week's Tombstone Tuesday is on the mausoleum vault of Irish-American Joseph Kline Emmet (1841-1891). His family vault is located in Albany Rural Cemetery. Emmet was a stage actor who successfully promoted Germanism in the Albany theatre and stage. Emmet became known as the originator of German dialect comedy. His performances combined graceful dancing, singing of sentimental or comic songs, and yodeling. Emmet became enormously popular in December 1869, when he created a character known as “Fritz Von Vonderblenkenstoffen” in a show called Fritz, Our Cousin German. The performance returned to Albany for an eleven day run at the Academy of Music in April 1870.[1] On October 18, 1870, Emmet again returned to Albany, this time at the Trimble Opera House, with his performance of Fritz. He had just completed seventy-five consecutive nights at Wallack’s in New York City. The Albany Argus advertised the show as a “magnificent reception of the talented young comedian, Mr. Joseph K. Emmet… in his great specialty of the German Emigrant… in which he will introduce songs, dances, and instrumental solos.…”[2] Emmet made Albany his permanent home in 1882. He erected a mansion on Van Rensselaer Boulevard known as “Fritz Villa.” Later, his former property was transformed into Wolfert’s Roost Country Club.[3] The former Laughlin Street in North Albany was renamed to Emmet Street in honor of Albany’s celebrated performer in June 1879.
[1] Phelps, Players of a Century, p. 305. Albany Argus, April 20, 1870, 1:9.
[2] Albany Argus, October 18, 1870, 1:9.
[3] Reynolds, Albany Chronicles, p. 722. Howell and Tenney, eds., History of the County of Albany, N. Y., pp. 706-707.
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| Emmet vault |
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| Peek inside the Emmet vault |
[1] Phelps, Players of a Century, p. 305. Albany Argus, April 20, 1870, 1:9.
[2] Albany Argus, October 18, 1870, 1:9.
[3] Reynolds, Albany Chronicles, p. 722. Howell and Tenney, eds., History of the County of Albany, N. Y., pp. 706-707.
11 July 2015
Reclaiming Lost Relatives Gravesites
As I begin to wind down my projects at Albany Rural Cemetery with rehabbing my ancestors gravesites that have fallen into disrepair; today I had ambitions of reclaiming 5 gravestones of my ancestors in Section 100. Today, my father and I retrieved 2 out of 5 stones. My relatives and their accompanying gravestones were previously located in the old Gibbonsville Cemetery in Watervliet on what is now property of the Watervliet arsenal. In 1918, the cemetery property was sold to the United States government. The cemetery was overgrown and not taken care of and at the same time the arsenal wished to expand its grounds. It would appear to be a win - win situation for the city of Watervliet and for the arsenal. After the cemetery property was sold, the interments and gravestones were removed to a section of Albany Rural Cemetery for re-burial. Over the past 97 years gravity has worked its wonders and the gravestones have sunken into the ground upwards of almost 10 inches.
Below are a series of photos of the work in progress. The first stone that I recovered was of Amanda Hitchcock, daughter of Capt. John Hitchcock and Harriet Palmer. John was an older brother of Samuel Hitchcock, my gggggg grandfather. The photo of Amanda's stone was after the project was completed.
The next few photos are from the recovering efforts of Louisa Martel Hitchcock's gravestone. Louisa was an adopted daughter of Alexander Hitchcock and Abigail Irena Hanks. Alexander was a younger brother to my gggg grandfather, Aistroppe Robinson Hitchcock.
Below is a photo of excavating the stone. It was almost 10 inches deep.
The next two photos are of my father cleaning the mud off the stones after they were removed from the ground.
The ground, refilled, tamped down, and leveled; awaiting placement of the gravestone in the exact spot where it was previously located; only now raised to the surface.
Louisa's gravestone placed, leveled, and surrounding area re-graded.
Project done! Three more gravestones to reclaim.
Below are a series of photos of the work in progress. The first stone that I recovered was of Amanda Hitchcock, daughter of Capt. John Hitchcock and Harriet Palmer. John was an older brother of Samuel Hitchcock, my gggggg grandfather. The photo of Amanda's stone was after the project was completed.
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| Amanda Hitchcock |
The next few photos are from the recovering efforts of Louisa Martel Hitchcock's gravestone. Louisa was an adopted daughter of Alexander Hitchcock and Abigail Irena Hanks. Alexander was a younger brother to my gggg grandfather, Aistroppe Robinson Hitchcock.
Below is a photo of excavating the stone. It was almost 10 inches deep.
The next two photos are of my father cleaning the mud off the stones after they were removed from the ground.
The ground, refilled, tamped down, and leveled; awaiting placement of the gravestone in the exact spot where it was previously located; only now raised to the surface.
Louisa's gravestone placed, leveled, and surrounding area re-graded.
Project done! Three more gravestones to reclaim.
22 June 2015
Tombstone Cleaning Follow-Up
Earlier this morning, I went to Albany Rural Cemetery to place a flag on the grave of a man, George H. Swartwout, who married into my family. Recently I discovered that he was also a veteran of the Civil War. But unfortunately he died very shortly after he was mustered out of service.
While at his plot I noticed a stone that I used to demonstrate how to clean a tombstone with D2 biological solution. The 10 minute video can be found on YouTube by clicking on this link. In September 2014 a blog post was created on this process. However today I was very surprised. I have known for a long time that all tombstones are not created equal. Some stones cleanup better than others. But this stone really whitened and brightened over the fall through the early summer. The photos below will speak for themselves.
The above photo was taken before cleaning with D2.
The above photo was taken about one month after cleaning with D2.
The above photo was taken this morning; 8 months after cleaning.
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| George H. Swartwout |
While at his plot I noticed a stone that I used to demonstrate how to clean a tombstone with D2 biological solution. The 10 minute video can be found on YouTube by clicking on this link. In September 2014 a blog post was created on this process. However today I was very surprised. I have known for a long time that all tombstones are not created equal. Some stones cleanup better than others. But this stone really whitened and brightened over the fall through the early summer. The photos below will speak for themselves.
The above photo was taken before cleaning with D2.
The above photo was taken about one month after cleaning with D2.
The above photo was taken this morning; 8 months after cleaning.
27 February 2015
Christopher White: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 5
This week's ancestral biography is a very short one. It is on one of my uncles. Actually my great grandfather's younger brother, Christopher White. I happen to have the same name also; however the family was unaware of another Christopher White in the family. He unfortunately died at two years of age.
Christopher White was born 1 August 1875 at 445 Clinton Avenue in Albany to Charles William White (1835-1917) and Mary Ann Wilson (1839-1908). Both were Irish immigrants. Charles immigrated with his parents and siblings and landed in New York harbor on 2 November 1843. They sailed on the Salem. It is still unknown when Christopher's mother immigrated to the United States.
Charles was a steadfast Episcopal and his wife Mary was Roman Catholic. Charles was long associated with Grace Episcopal Church located on the corner of Clinton Avenue and Robin Street while his wife Mary was a communicant of St. Patrick's Church on Central Avenue. Christopher was baptized at St. Patrick's on 7 August 1875 and his sponsors were William Delehanty and Sarah Doyle. I have yet to find a family connection with the child's sponsors.
Information gained from the 1880 Federal Census lists Charles and family as living at 193 Lark Street in Albany. Also among the family was an uncle Christopher McGrath. I am assuming that the child was named after him. The census image is below.
Christopher White was born 1 August 1875 at 445 Clinton Avenue in Albany to Charles William White (1835-1917) and Mary Ann Wilson (1839-1908). Both were Irish immigrants. Charles immigrated with his parents and siblings and landed in New York harbor on 2 November 1843. They sailed on the Salem. It is still unknown when Christopher's mother immigrated to the United States.
Charles was a steadfast Episcopal and his wife Mary was Roman Catholic. Charles was long associated with Grace Episcopal Church located on the corner of Clinton Avenue and Robin Street while his wife Mary was a communicant of St. Patrick's Church on Central Avenue. Christopher was baptized at St. Patrick's on 7 August 1875 and his sponsors were William Delehanty and Sarah Doyle. I have yet to find a family connection with the child's sponsors.
Information gained from the 1880 Federal Census lists Charles and family as living at 193 Lark Street in Albany. Also among the family was an uncle Christopher McGrath. I am assuming that the child was named after him. The census image is below.
According to records at Albany Rural Cemetery, little Christopher White died on 1 August 1877 at 55 Lark Street in Albany from lung congestion. He was buried two days later in the family plot.
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| Christopher White at the grave of his great grand uncle Christopher White |
04 October 2014
Gravestone Cleaning Follow-Up
This morning during a break in the rain showers I took a ride to Albany Rural Cemetery to check the stone that I cleaned last Sunday with D2 biological solution. The stone was noticeably brighter than last week after we finished cleaning it and filming the process. Below are three pictures of the stone; the upper photo is the stone before cleaning, the middle photo is after cleaning, and the lower photo is one week later after the stone brightened from the cleaning.
Before cleaning
Immediately after cleaning
One week later
All in all it was a successful project. The stone cleaned up nice and it may continue to brighten a little more as the sun shines on it.
Before cleaning
Immediately after cleaning
One week later
All in all it was a successful project. The stone cleaned up nice and it may continue to brighten a little more as the sun shines on it.
28 September 2014
Gravestone Cleaning Video
Earlier this afternoon, my wife and I were at Albany Rural Cemetery and we created a short video on how to clean a gravestone. We went to a relative's lot and chose a stone within it and I began to clean the stone and also described why and how to clean it while Michele filmed the demo. The video will be at the end of this blog entry.
I must mention that I am not a professional gravestone conservator; simply a genealogist and descendant from my ancestors who is caring for his ancestors and relatives gravesites as best as he can. I have cleaned numerous gravestones of my relatives and have uprighted and leveled half-dozen others.
I admit that some stones have cleaned up better than others. But whether one gravestone comes out better than the next; they all are in much better condition that before I started.
A picture of the gravestone pre-cleaning is below.
A picture of the gravestone post-cleaning is below.
In two weeks, I will come back to this plot to check whether the gravestone has brightened. The lichens that were growing on the stone were removed and the stone is obviously cleaner than before. Time will tell how it comes out.
Below are two photos where the outcome was great with only one cleaning application.
The original video was shot in HD and was crystal clear but unfortunately the video had to be compressed in order to be uploaded on this blog. Video quality and clarity were lost.
08 September 2014
Albany Rural Cemetery incident
Yesterday Sunday afternoon I was enjoying the beautiful weather and took a ride to Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands to finish photographing and cleaning my ancestor's graves. The day was perfect. Not too hot nor too cold. The cemetery had numerous visitors. Some families, couples, walkers, and bicyclists all over the place.
Unfortunately sometime shortly after I left the cemetery, a 911 call was placed to the historic cemetery. A tombstone tipped over onto a four year old child critically injuring him. The child was just behind the rest of the family when the accident occurred. Very few details have emerged yet aside from the parents hearing a noise behind them and turning and finding the stone on top of their child.
This is a very unfortunate accident. I always stress to my girls that when we are in a cemetery never ever climb on the stones for fear of this happening to them. I am not stating that the child was climbing on the stone; since I was not there. But it is very easy for a stone to topple over if someone attempted to climb one. Over time the ground around the tombstone can sink causing the stone to become un-level. After a stone starts leaning the forces of gravity will continue to pull on it where any adhesive or pinning of a top stone to a lower stone can become weakened. With just a little force it could go over.
Parents please keep a watchful eye out for your kids in cemeteries. My girls are teens and I still warn them everytime they are with me. No one wants an accident like this to occur.
Below is a story from Channel 10 News:
Boy injured from falling tombstone at Albany Rural Cemetery
Posted: Sep 08, 2014 7:11 AM EDT Updated: Sep 08, 2014 07:50 AM
By Lindsay Nielsen
COLONIE, N.Y. - A young child has been treated at the hospital for serious injuries after a tombstone fell on him Sunday.
Colonie Police say the a four-year-old boy was taken to Albany Medical Center after suffering a serious head injury after a tombstone fell on him at Albany Rural Cemetery.
"The child was approximately ten feet behind the parents and one of the grandparents when this occurred they did hear a noise which we believe was the tombstone falling over," said Colonie Police Lt. Robert Winn.
According to Winn, the family rushed over and found the four-year-old boy underneath the tombstone around 4:30 p.m. Family members quickly removed the boy and called 911 for help.
Officials say it was difficult to locate the child due to the vast size of the cemetery. It took police about 12 minutes to locate the boy with the help of 911 operators and the family. Authorities say the caller was giving names on nearby tombstones to try and help officers locate the family.
"The child had sustained obvious head injuries that was observed at the scene [he] was unconscious but still breathing, [he was] transported to Albany Medical Center [and] was in surgery when our officers left the hospital. The family is with him," said Lt. Winn.
Authorities are unsure why the tombstone fell over.
"It was an older tombstone and an older section of the cemetery. We do not know at this time what led to that tombstone falling," continued Lt. Winn
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the incident, although they say it seems to have been just a tragic accident.
For the news video see:
http://www.news10.com/story/26472421/boy-injured-from-falling-tombstone-at-albany-rural-cemetery
Unfortunately sometime shortly after I left the cemetery, a 911 call was placed to the historic cemetery. A tombstone tipped over onto a four year old child critically injuring him. The child was just behind the rest of the family when the accident occurred. Very few details have emerged yet aside from the parents hearing a noise behind them and turning and finding the stone on top of their child.
This is a very unfortunate accident. I always stress to my girls that when we are in a cemetery never ever climb on the stones for fear of this happening to them. I am not stating that the child was climbing on the stone; since I was not there. But it is very easy for a stone to topple over if someone attempted to climb one. Over time the ground around the tombstone can sink causing the stone to become un-level. After a stone starts leaning the forces of gravity will continue to pull on it where any adhesive or pinning of a top stone to a lower stone can become weakened. With just a little force it could go over.
Parents please keep a watchful eye out for your kids in cemeteries. My girls are teens and I still warn them everytime they are with me. No one wants an accident like this to occur.
Below is a story from Channel 10 News:
Boy injured from falling tombstone at Albany Rural Cemetery
Posted: Sep 08, 2014 7:11 AM EDT Updated: Sep 08, 2014 07:50 AM
By Lindsay Nielsen
COLONIE, N.Y. - A young child has been treated at the hospital for serious injuries after a tombstone fell on him Sunday.
Colonie Police say the a four-year-old boy was taken to Albany Medical Center after suffering a serious head injury after a tombstone fell on him at Albany Rural Cemetery.
"The child was approximately ten feet behind the parents and one of the grandparents when this occurred they did hear a noise which we believe was the tombstone falling over," said Colonie Police Lt. Robert Winn.
According to Winn, the family rushed over and found the four-year-old boy underneath the tombstone around 4:30 p.m. Family members quickly removed the boy and called 911 for help.
Officials say it was difficult to locate the child due to the vast size of the cemetery. It took police about 12 minutes to locate the boy with the help of 911 operators and the family. Authorities say the caller was giving names on nearby tombstones to try and help officers locate the family.
"The child had sustained obvious head injuries that was observed at the scene [he] was unconscious but still breathing, [he was] transported to Albany Medical Center [and] was in surgery when our officers left the hospital. The family is with him," said Lt. Winn.
Authorities are unsure why the tombstone fell over.
"It was an older tombstone and an older section of the cemetery. We do not know at this time what led to that tombstone falling," continued Lt. Winn
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the incident, although they say it seems to have been just a tragic accident.
For the news video see:
http://www.news10.com/story/26472421/boy-injured-from-falling-tombstone-at-albany-rural-cemetery
01 September 2014
Gibbonsville Burying Grounds
The Gibbonsville or Arsenal Burying Grounds were originally located on property now owned by the Watervliet Arsenal. From viewing old maps of West Troy, I believe that this cemetery was located just north of the present day Valente's Restaurant which is just south of the Arsenal, today.
An early settler of that area, James Gibbons, sold a parcel of land to the United States government for the creation of the Arsenal in 1813; to support the fight against the British during the War of 1812. As time passed the Arsenal grew in size and as they needed more land the Arsenal acquired the land on which the "old burying grounds" were located.
The grave stones and bodies were removed and re-buried in section 100 of the Albany Rural Cemetery. Approximately 300 bodies were re-interned around 1918. The majority of the stones were laid flat on the ground with only a handful being re-installed upright. Over the years the ground has reclaimed just about all of the stones that were laid flat. They have sunk into the ground and have been covered with dirt, grass, and leaves over the years.
About twenty years ago my wife and I took it upon ourselves to locate the grave site of one of my ancestors, Samuel Hitchcock, who was originally buried in the Arsenal Burying Grounds. All of the stones were buried over with grass but with using a plot map from the cemetery we were able to pull the sod up and locate the grave stones.
I recently went back to Albany Rural Cemetery with a plan to reclaim my ancestor's grave stone. After twenty years, the ground again had covered the grave stones. Twenty years ago is quite a while and my memory did not let me recall how deep the grave stones had actually sunk into the earth. The lower part of them were at least six to seven inches deep.
It would be unsafe for the stones and for anyone walking over them in the condition that were. Unlevel and with a huge divot missing from the ground. Therefore I decided to completely remove the stones and place the earth which was on top of them underneath them. I also brought out some leveling sand to make sure that the were level. The stones were placed back into the ground so that they were about 3/4" of an inch below the grade level.
As time passes, they will again be covered over with dirt but not to the extent that they were previously. The stones were cleaned with D/2 cleaning solution and rinsed with water. The stones look almost brand new considering they are from the late 1820s & early 1830s.
On an ending note, in between the time that I did the initial excavation of the stones and re-laid them, which was 3 days. Someone came with the same intentions that I had regarding uncovering a stone. The only difference was they left clumps of sod all over the place. It looked terrible and I am sure that the cemetery would not be appreciative of their efforts. I removed and disposed the sod that was left. Anyone who attempts a project such as this, please make sure that the grounds are in the same condition as before you started.
An early settler of that area, James Gibbons, sold a parcel of land to the United States government for the creation of the Arsenal in 1813; to support the fight against the British during the War of 1812. As time passed the Arsenal grew in size and as they needed more land the Arsenal acquired the land on which the "old burying grounds" were located.
The grave stones and bodies were removed and re-buried in section 100 of the Albany Rural Cemetery. Approximately 300 bodies were re-interned around 1918. The majority of the stones were laid flat on the ground with only a handful being re-installed upright. Over the years the ground has reclaimed just about all of the stones that were laid flat. They have sunk into the ground and have been covered with dirt, grass, and leaves over the years.
About twenty years ago my wife and I took it upon ourselves to locate the grave site of one of my ancestors, Samuel Hitchcock, who was originally buried in the Arsenal Burying Grounds. All of the stones were buried over with grass but with using a plot map from the cemetery we were able to pull the sod up and locate the grave stones.
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| Site of Samuel & Mary Hitchcock's gravestones |
I recently went back to Albany Rural Cemetery with a plan to reclaim my ancestor's grave stone. After twenty years, the ground again had covered the grave stones. Twenty years ago is quite a while and my memory did not let me recall how deep the grave stones had actually sunk into the earth. The lower part of them were at least six to seven inches deep.
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| Initial excavation of grave stones |
It would be unsafe for the stones and for anyone walking over them in the condition that were. Unlevel and with a huge divot missing from the ground. Therefore I decided to completely remove the stones and place the earth which was on top of them underneath them. I also brought out some leveling sand to make sure that the were level. The stones were placed back into the ground so that they were about 3/4" of an inch below the grade level.
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| Cleaned, raised, and leveled grave stones |
As time passes, they will again be covered over with dirt but not to the extent that they were previously. The stones were cleaned with D/2 cleaning solution and rinsed with water. The stones look almost brand new considering they are from the late 1820s & early 1830s.
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| Samuel & Mary Hitchcock |
07 April 2014
Paul Grondahl Talks About Albany Rural Cemetery
An upcoming talk on Albany Rural Cemetery will be held on April 24, 2014 at the William K. Sanford Town Library; located at 629 Albany-Shaker Road, Loudonville, NY. Below are the details from the library's monthly newsletter, At the Library.
Paul Grondahl, an author and award-winning report at the Times Union, will speak about These Exalted Acres: Unlocking the Secrets of Albany Rural Cemetery on Thursday, April 24th at our Noon Author Talk. The book includes historic photographs and 50 biographies of notable people buried at Albany Rural Cemetery. Grondahl wrote the book and it was published in December, 2013 by the Times Union. (When we went over to the TU to purchase copies for the library last December, the line went out the door! So here's your chance to get a copy if you couldn't last December.) All proceeds benefit the Times Union Hope Fund, a not-for-profit organization run by volunteers at the paper that sends underprivileged and at-risk children to after-school programs and summer camps. The hardcover illustrated book costs $25. Paul's talk will be followed by a book signing. The talk starts at 12:15 PM; bring your lunch if you are on lunch hour.
Paul Grondahl, an author and award-winning report at the Times Union, will speak about These Exalted Acres: Unlocking the Secrets of Albany Rural Cemetery on Thursday, April 24th at our Noon Author Talk. The book includes historic photographs and 50 biographies of notable people buried at Albany Rural Cemetery. Grondahl wrote the book and it was published in December, 2013 by the Times Union. (When we went over to the TU to purchase copies for the library last December, the line went out the door! So here's your chance to get a copy if you couldn't last December.) All proceeds benefit the Times Union Hope Fund, a not-for-profit organization run by volunteers at the paper that sends underprivileged and at-risk children to after-school programs and summer camps. The hardcover illustrated book costs $25. Paul's talk will be followed by a book signing. The talk starts at 12:15 PM; bring your lunch if you are on lunch hour.
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