West Hill Cemetery, Sherburne New York

Date added: October 12, 2023
Looking east in older section of cemetery (2005)

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The West Hill Cemetery was established as early as 1803 in conjunction with the Second Calvinistick Society of Sherburne, which apparently also had a meeting house on or near the site. The church disbanded by 1820 and the meeting house was gone by the middle of the nineteenth century, but the burial ground became of the largest in the town, used by residents of Sherburne and the adjacent town of Smyrna to the west. The cemetery contains the graves of a number of the town's earliest land owners and settlers, veterans of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and numerous other nineteenth and twentieth-century citizens. There are distinctive stones from all periods, particularly a number of finely carved examples from the first half of the nineteenth century by the family of carvers known as "Crandall School." The size of the cemetery was significantly enlarged with the addition of two parcels by the West Hill Cemetery Association (formed in 1892) in 1897. Shortly after, a memorial chapel was donated by an unknown benefactor. The c1905 chapel forms the centerpiece of the "new" section of the cemetery, which is laid out in a formal cloverleaf pattern. With more than four thousand burials, the West Hill Cemetery is important for the information that it provides about the settlement and development of the town of Sherburne over two centuries.

In 1788, the Oneida Indians sold an area now known as the "twenty towns" to the state of New York as part of the Treaty of Fort Schuyler. Also known as the Governor's Purchase, this area of nearly 500,000 acres included parts of what are now Oneida, Madison, and Chenango Counties. In 1789, Horace P. Schuyler surveyed the area into twenty numbered townships, which were sold at auction to speculators, and settlement began as early as 1791. Eleven of these towns fall within northern Chenango County.

One of the most prominent individuals to purchase land in the twenty towns was William Stephen Smith. Smith, born on Long Island in 1755, graduated from Princeton and studied law for several years before beginning a military career at the beginning of the Revolution. During the war he served under General Sullivan and as aid to camp to George Washington. He later served as secretary to John Adams when the latter was sent to London as the American ambassador after the war. In 1786, during Smith's stay in England, he married Adams's daughter, Abigail. While overseas, William Smith formed a syndicate for the purchase of six of the twenty towns, or approximately 6,222 acres. Smith's purchase (c1791) included what is now the town of Sherburne. He sold four of the towns but retained the rest, a tract that bordered the Chenango River and included the sites of Smyrna, Sherburne, Eaton, Madison, Hamilton, and Earlville. Although Smith profited from these transactions, what has been described as his "expensive lifestyle" left him in financial difficulty, and in 1808 Smith decided to move his family (which included his wife and the couple's three children) to land that he owned with his brother Justus in the Chenango Valley tract. He settled on a tract near Middleport, where he had already begun construction of a residence. In 1812, Smith was elected to the United States Congress, serving Madison and Herkimer Counties. Abigail Adams Smith was unhappy in the wilderness and, either tired or ill, in 1813, she returned to her parents' home in Quincy, Massachusetts, where she died shortly thereafter. William Smith died only a few years later, in 1816. Although his wife was interred in Quincy, William Smith was buried in a plot in the West Hill Cemetery. The West Hill Cemetery marker includes a tribute to both of the Smiths.

Smith sold land within the tract as early as 1791, and in 1792, the land was resurveyed by Cornelius Clark and divided into twenty equal parts, each including both bottom land along the river and upland. In the same year, the first permanent settlers arrived. Many of the twenty settlement families were originally from Connecticut but moved here from Duanesburg, where they were unable to acquire title to the land that they wished to settle. They included Abraham Raymond, Nathaniel Gray, Amos Cole, Joseph Dixon, Newcomb Raymond, Elijah Gray, Eleazer Lathrop, Josiah Lathrop, James Raymond, Joel Hatch, John Gray Jr., Timothy Hatch, and Cornelius Clark. The town of Sherburne was divided off from Paris, Oneida County in 1795 and the first town meeting was held at the residence of Timothy Hatch in the same year. Nathaniel Gray was the first justice of the peace. Sherburne reached its current size in 1852.

The first mill was erected on the Handsome Brook, in the north part of the town, in 1794, and a second mill was developed near falls known as Sulphur Springs. The early nineteenth century was a period of economic growth for the town, which profited first from agriculture and then, more significantly, from the construction of the Chenango Canal through the town in the 1830s. Almost all of the town was cleared for farming during the nineteenth century, and the town's New England settlers adapted well to farming the hilly upland areas. The four-year-long canal construction project attracted a large number of workers, including many Irish immigrants.

By 1835 the population of the town had doubled. Although many of the new settlers did not stay, the canal spurred the growth of a number of small industries in the town, including manufacturers of stoneware and cotton; it also provided a boost to the regional agricultural economy, particularly the dairy industry. After 1869, the town was served by the railroad, promoting further agricultural and industrial growth.

The First Congregational Church of Sherburne was organized in 1794. Its seventeen original members included members of the Gray, Newcomb, Raymond, Hatch, and Lathrop families. Nathaniel Gray and Abraham Raymond were chosen as deacons. The society was incorporated in 1798 and elected trustees included Eli Marsh, Joel Northrop, Orsamus Holmes, and others. In its early days, the congregation lacked both a pastor and a church, meeting when missionaries were available. The group worshipped in a schoolhouse north of the village of Sherburne; however, by 1802, a permanent meeting house was planned. Building commenced on a site near the village of Sherburne in 1803-04 after, as local records note, "the effort to unite the two societies on a 'common' center had failed." The second society referred to was the Second Calvinistick Congregational Society of Sherburne, which had been formed in 1800 at the home of James Guthrie. This congregation was formed to serve members who lived on the west side of the Chenango River and in the hamlet of Smyrna, further west on NY 80. Its eleven founding members included Isaac Foote, Sedate Foote, Henry Finn, Margaret Finn, David Dixon, Triphena Dixon, Sarah Talcott, Elizabeth Merrill, Elijah Sexton, Ebenezer Baker, and Gambo Dasset, who was described a "colored man, a native of Gambia, Africa. Trustees included Orsamus Holmes and Eli Marsh. In 1803, as the First Congregational set about to construct its church, the Second Calvinistick built a meeting house on or near the site of the West Hill cemetery. The meeting house was constructed adjacent to a smaller building described as a "society house," perhaps an earlier meeting house for the congregation. Sources indicate that the Second Calvinistick Church (sometimes referred to as the West Hill Church) disbanded in 1820 and members divided between a new church in Smyrna and the First Congregational in Sherburne. Apparently, the Second Calvinistick meeting house of 1803 was moved from the West Hill site in 1847 and reused as a barn; it was certainly gone by 1893, when a writer in the town's centennial booklet described missing the old meeting house, "in olden times the most conspicuous feature in the landscape." The author went on to note that "there is still the churchyard green, and God's acre just beyond, where sleep the beloved dead." There is no evidence of either of these two early buildings in the cemetery today; however, a well near the western edge of the burial ground may indicate a possible building location.

The West Hill Cemetery is one of Sherburne's largest burial grounds, with more than 1,500 interments. The cemetery's early history is not clear. Tradition holds that the cemetery was established in connection with the Second Calvinistick Society and that the earliest parcel was a gift from Justus Bosch Smith, brother of William Smith. Both of the Smith brothers are interred here. No documentation or date has been established for this gift, which apparently included approximately two acres in the northwestern quadrant. The Second Calvinistick Church, which had been established in 1800, did not construct its meeting house until 1803; however, the congregation may have worshipped at the building referred to as the society house, reportedly still on the site when the meeting house was constructed. The earliest known burial, Julus Talcott, an infant, was the child of Joshua Talcott, a member of the Second Calvinistick congregation. The Talcott child died in 1803, suggesting that the congregation had established its meeting place and a burial ground by that date. An examination of the layout of the cemetery shows the earliest graves in the northwest corner, far from the road. South of them, closer to the road, the graves date from a later period. Records indicate that this parcel was acquired in 1892, although some of the burials predate its acquisition. Members of the Second Calvinistick church are buried here; however, the cemetery was also used by other early settlers, and while the church had disbanded by 1820, the cemetery grew into one of the largest in the town and was heavily used until the mid-twentieth century.

Thus, is it perhaps more accurately described as a community cemetery.

Prominent individuals from the town's settlement period include five of the original proprietors and several founding members of both churches. In addition to William and Justus Smith, among the most prominent was Cornelius Clark, one of the proprietors, who moved with his family from Duanesburg. Clark fought in the Revolution and he was the land surveyor for the Sherburne colony. He was awarded lot 7, on which he resided till his death in 1810. In addition to being a farmer and surveyor, Clark was also noted as a cooper and a blacksmith. His marker compliments him for his services to the town.

Elijah Sexton (d. 1839), another early and prominent citizen, was a founding member of the Second Calvinistick Church. Sexton, a Revolutionary War veteran, is buried here along with his two wives, Sibyl (d. 1808) and Thankful (d. 1862). The Talcott family included Joshua Sr., an early settler from Connecticut. Talcott, a member of the Second Calvinistick, was the father of the child buried here in 1803, apparently the first burial on the site. A relative of Joshua Talcott, Judge Hezekiah Talcott, was born in Connecticut and moved to Sherburne from Herkimer County. The Allen family, which came from Massachusetts in 1797, was also prominent in the West Hill Church. The family included Noah Allen, Sr. (d. 1802), his son Apollos (d. 1807), the latter's wife (Deborah d. 1807), and their children.

Newcomb and Abraham Raymond, both proprietors, arrived in the 1790s and established adjoining farms. Abraham Raymond (d. 1830) was a deacon of the First Congregational Church and his wife, Betsey (d. 1858), was among its first members. Newcomb Raymond (d. 1832) fought in the Revolution. He and his wife, Mabel (d. 1826), were founding members of the First Congregational Church.

Joseph Dixon, a proprietor, was noted as a "prominent citizen in the pioneer days." Dixon (1754-1839) was born in Connecticut and served in the Revolution. He emigrated to Sherburne from Vermont in the 1790s, purchasing a large farm. Two of his two sons (buried elsewhere) studied at Yale and became prominent in their fields. Other members of the Dixon family are also buried at West Hill. Joseph Guthrie (d. 1845), another of the town's early settlers, was also a veteran of the Revolution. Among the many other members of the Guthrie family buried in the West Hill Cemetery is James Guthrie (d. 1804), also noted as a Revolutionary War veteran. Amos Cole (d. 1852) was another proprietor and Revolutionary War veteran. All four of Amos Cole's wives (who died in 1806, 1807, 1816, and 1846) are buried near him at West Hill. The Pratt family was noted in Sherburne for its prominence in business and financial affairs. There are three generations of Pratts at West Hill, including Joshua Pratt (d. 1827), his son Joshua Jr. (d. 1860), and his grandson Joshua (1906). The senior Pratt arrived from Columbia County. A farmer, the elder Pratt was also associated with West Hill Church. Joshua Jr. was also a farmer but moved to the village and was engaged in business. The youngest Pratt, a merchant and banker for sixty years, was the most prominent of the three.

A prominent citizen from the second period of Sherburne's history was Dr. Devillo White, who is buried in the cemetery along with his wife, Caroline Pratt White. Dr. White (1801-1882), the son of one of Sherburne's first settlers, was remembered as "one of the most potent individual forces" in the community. White was a physician who took over a practice from his father [the latter having perished in a snowstorm in Illinois] and carried it on with "skill and energy." The younger White was also active in politics and finance. He is said to have had a "controlling power among men" and is noted as having a wide influence in the town of Sherburne for a long period.

The cemetery also holds the remains of thirteen soldiers who fought in the Revolution, forty-one veterans of the Civil War, and a handful noted for their service in World Wars I and II.

The West Hill Cemetery Association was formed in 1892. By the turn of the century, the association had added two parcels, both purchased in 1897: a three-acre parcel for $509.56 and a four-acre parcel for $800. These two purchases are the area known as the "new section," or the eastern half of the burial ground. These two parcels plus the two in the old section constitute the 9.35-acre property.

In 1905 an unknown benefactor donated a memorial chapel to the cemetery. Not much is known about the origin or history of the chapel. Local tradition holds that the donor saw a similar building while traveling in Mexico and had it replicated here. The architect was F.A. Jaerschky of Binghamton and roofing tile was purchased from Ludowici Roofing Tile Company of New York. The chapel, a small brick building in a picturesque Spanish Revival style, forms the centerpiece of the new section of the cemetery.

The West Hill Cemetery contains many notable examples of funerary art, particularly from the first half of the nineteenth century. Among those are approximately a dozen examples of the work of the so-called "Crandall School." Joseph Crandall (1777-1851), a Massachusetts native, moved to the town of Plymouth, Chenango County, in 1806. Crandall was a stone engraver and mason and he is believed to have constructed foundations and stone walls throughout the region. He taught the trade to his sons, who joined him in the business, which was continued by several generations of Crandalls.

The Crandalls specialized in grave markers, and many examples of their work can be seen in the town of Norwich and the surrounding region. Joseph Crandall, his wife, and his daughter are buried in the Aldrich Cemetery, which is between Norwich and South Pitcher. Like other examples from this period, Crandall's stones are distinguished by their complex rounded forms and the use of draped urns, willows, and other motifs. However, Crandall's stones are especially ornate. Epitaphs are set within elaborate frames and nearly all of the space is filled in with geometrical and foliate forms, including pinwheels, stylized flowers, philodendron leaves, and stippling. He was responsible for at least one decorated footstone (grave of James McCullough, McCullough Cemetery). Joseph Crandall's work can be identified by the distinctive serpentine carved "I" used in the "In memory of...." Stones carved by Crandall's sons are similar but lack the signature elements.

Site Description

The West Hill Cemetery is located on the north side of NY 80 in the town of Sherburne, New York. The town of Sherburne is in the northeast corner of Chenango County near the Madison County border. NY 80, which crosses the southern portion of the town, was once a major east-west turnpike across the state. The cemetery is between the small villages of Sherburne and Smyrna. The 9.35-acre parcel is surrounded by agricultural land that retains much of its nineteenth-century organization into field and woodlots. The cemetery occupies a plateau. North of the cemetery, the land slopes steeply down to the Chenango River, affording the burial ground a wide view of the valley beyond. Adjoining the cemetery to the north and east are approximately 123 acres of New York State land accessible to the public for recreation. At least one building (the Second Calvinistick Congregational Society meeting house) and possibly a second (referred to as the "society house") were located on or adjacent to the cemetery site in the first half of the nineteenth century. The meeting house was moved from the site in the mid-nineteenth century and the fate of the society house is unknown. There is no apparent evidence of either building, although an old well at the western edge of the burial grounds may be associated with this early development.

The West Hill Cemetery has records of approximately 4,683 burials, two-thirds of which predate 1950. The cemetery is divided into two distinct sections, each of which occupies about half of the parcel. The western half, which includes the parcel once associated with the Second Calvinistick Church, contains the oldest burials, with the earliest apparently that of an infant buried in 1803. The oldest graves are in the northwest corner, where stones are far apart and some appear to be missing, Other burials in the older half are relatively close together, arranged in north-south rows along an informal path. Several mature trees dot the landscape.

The eastern section, acquired in two sections by a cemetery association in 1897, includes burials from the late nineteenth and, primarily, the first half of the twentieth century. The eastern half is laid out in a formal cloverleaf plan with burials in each of the four quadrants arranged in east-west rows. There is space for about three or four thousand additional burials, particularly in the northeast quadrant, which is relatively empty. Cemetery markers in the older section are typical of their period and include many fine examples of funerary art. Early stones feature rounded tops, delicate carving, foliate decoration, weeping willows, and other typical motifs. Many are inscribed with verses, some of them religious, typical of the period. In particular, there are about a dozen examples of the work of "Crandall and Crandall," well-known early nineteenth-century local carvers. The cemetery also features several vaults and approximately eighty family monuments. One of the largest marks the grave of William Smith, a prominent landholder and aid to George Washington during the Revolution, and recalls his wife, Abigail Adams Smith (only daughter of John Adams, second president of the United States), who is buried in Quincy, Massachusetts. The interred include at least thirteen Revolutionary War veterans, forty-one Civil War or Civil War era veterans, and a number who served in World Wars I and II. The cemetery also contains the small Howard family cemetery, which was moved to West Hill from the Jackson Howard Farm in northeast Sherburne. The thirteen members of the Howard family are apparently four Howard brothers, wives of three (and possibly all four) of them, and children of two of the couples. Dates of death range from 1844 and 1845 (two young children) to 1894 for Thomas J. Howard, who was predeceased by his wife and child. It is not known when or why the cemetery was moved to West Hill.

A small brick chapel, constructed in 1905 and surrounded by three burr oaks, marks the center of the cloverleaf. The chapel is a one-story building constructed of Roman brick on a raised, cut-stone foundation with stone trim. The building is rectangular in form (25 feet by 30 feet) with a gable roof and large stepped and multi-curved decorative parapets with concrete caps at each gable end. Both the north and south elevations feature large round-arched openings within corbelled brick enframements with stone keystones and sills. Each features a stained-glass memorial window. Side elevations are broken by small round-arched openings with clear glass windows. At the southeast corner of the building is a large, two-story tower, nearly square in form (12 feet by 13 feet), surmounted by a belfry with a pyramidal roof and overhanging eaves supported on large brackets. The lower story of the tower is characterized by large round-arched openings on each of the three non-engaged sides. The corbelled brick arches spring from square piers with stone imposts and feature oversized stone keystones. Each of the four sides of the belfry is characterized by a triple arcade. Both the chapel and the tower roofs are clad in red, ceramic roofing tiles. There is a small one-story entrance on the rear (north) elevation of the chapel. The gabled roof pavilion is constructed of the same brick and features a tiled roof. Adjacent to this is a small contemporary concrete wing with a flat roof. Entrance is through double doors in the southeast corner of the building, sheltered by the tower. The interior is a single room with two brick corner fireplaces, several pews, and a small lectern and chairs. A trap door provided access to the basement, where brick compartments allow storage of coffins.

West Hill Cemetery, Sherburne New York Looking northwest at Chapel (2005)
Looking northwest at Chapel (2005)

West Hill Cemetery, Sherburne New York Looking east in northwest corner of the cemetery (oldest section) (2005)
Looking east in northwest corner of the cemetery (oldest section) (2005)

West Hill Cemetery, Sherburne New York Looking east in older section of cemetery (2005)
Looking east in older section of cemetery (2005)

West Hill Cemetery, Sherburne New York Looking east in northeast part of old section (2005)
Looking east in northeast part of old section (2005)