Olde Mansfield Center Cemetery October 2020.

 

The Olde Mansfield Center Cemetery was incorporated in 1693, though the oldest surviving stone dates to 1721.  This yard is one of the nicest maintained ones in the area, with a good sampling of many of the prominent schist carvers in the region and a few other surprises.  

Obadiah Wheeler of Lebanon CT began carving tombstones in about 1718, some stones he carved bear earlier dates, but are certainly backdated due to him only arriving in Lebanon in 1718.  His stones were once thought to have been the work of  Benjamin Collins though besides the obvious style differences old probate records examined in the 1970s provided his real name and identity.  He was heavily influenced by carver John Hartshorne, especially in his early work though his designs gradually became more detailed and unique.  He carved until 1749, when he died.  He is often considered one of the greatest Grave carvers in Colonial Connecticut, and influenced many other prominent carvers including Benjamin Collins and Jonathan Loomis.  His work is well represented in the Olde Mansfield Center Cemetery.

The stone of Martha Storrs dated 1728, a fine example of

Obadiah Wheeler's early work.  Notice the misspellings

 At this time, english was often considered fluid, and the 

spelling of December as "Dsembe" was more likely to 

have been used so it would fit on the stone.

The stone of Reverend Eldezer Williams, dated 1742 is another example of Wheeler's fine

craftsmanship.  He developed several variants of tombstones by the 1730s, all very detailed

with different symbols and borders.

Another variant of Wheelers work dated 1736.  Wheeler often

used hexfoil rosettes on his stone borders, a symbol of mortality

that has been used on tombstones for over two thousand years.

More Wheeler stones in a bit, 

Josiah Manning is well represented here, with 79 stones present, by far the most common carver in the yard.

An example of Josiah Mannings early style.

His early work consisted of batlike wings, and clovers,

clearly influenced by Gershom Bartlett as seen

by the borders, and rosettes.

The Coffin stone on the left, dated 1768 is one of the few non

winged soul designs Manning carved.  The stone on the right dated

1765, is probably backdated, likely placed at the same time

as the Coffin stone.

Another "bat wing" style Manning stone dated 1770.

the diamond shape is also only present on a rare

few early Manning stones.

An elaborate Manning stone dated 1778,

note the scaled wings, sometimes used

on more elaborate stones, and the crisp

border binding.

More Manning stones in a bit, but first a big surprise.

Elijah Sikes was a carver in the later 1700s who's stones are common in much of Northeastern CT especially in Pomfret, Brooklyn, Thompson, and others as well as in some parts of southern Mass east of the CT river.  While an occasional stone was placed as far south as Lebanon or Griswold, they are very rare south Brooklyn with the exception of Plainfield.  A single Sikes stone is in the Olde Center Cemetery,

and even more interesting is it being an expensive Marble stone, while Sikes usually carved on unique stone material with a high amount of iron oxide.

The stone for David Adams dated 1790, is a rare example of Elijah Sikes 

work on marble. It is the only Sikes stone in the yard.

Another common carver in the very early 1700s was John Hartshorne.  Hartshorne was born in 1650 and originally lived in Rowly Mass and served in the King Phillips War.  He was the regions first grave carver, starting in the 1680's. Around 1712 he moved to Franklin CT and continued carving tombstones until  when he died in 1737 aged 88.  19 of his stones can be found in the Olde Center Cemetery.

One example of his work on the stone of Capt. William Hall, dated

1727.  Notice the abstract borders, and rosettes.

Another example of his work, dated 1728.  The blank

staring face is certainly a focal point on his work.

The grave of Mary Wood dated 1727.  Notice the

different border pattern and rosettes compared to

the first one.  His designs often varied greatly.

A large tombstone carved by Gershom Bartlett.  Notice

the lobed wings compared to the usual elongated style.

Another stone by Bartlett, dated 1755.  Notice the clovers and borders,

an inspiration to the early work of Josiah Manning.  I always liked the

almost perfectly round face on this stone.

Another lobed winged Bartlett stone dated 1766.

A total of 7 stones by Bartlett are in the yard.

Another surprise was finding two dark slate stones in the yard.  These stones were carved by a Killingly carver named Stephen Spalding.  Unlike most regional carvers, Spaulding outsourced his material in favor of black/blue slate a more expensive and desirable stone then the common Schist.  His stones are somewhat common in the Killingy/Pomfret/Brooklyn region though as seen here are spread out in small numbers. Two are present in this graveyard.

One stone dated 1796 for Booz Stearns aged 96. This stone 

is in need of a deep clean, as it is in great shape and is a 

somewhat rare example of his work.

Another one of Spauldings headstones Dated 1789.

The only other traditional slate was this "Deaths Head" Winged Skull stone 

dated 1763, imported from the tombstone mecca of Boston.   Skull designs are very

 rare in Connecticut graveyards, with only a handful of regional carvers ever using them

on their stones notably Thomas Johnson.  Some cemeteries in Connecticut port towns 

have a high number of these Boston made stones due to the easier method of importation

 via ship, some examples include yards in New London, Old Saybrook, and Milford.

Another surprise was my first sighting of the "Hampton Indian Carver", an unknown carver out of Hampton who carved stones in some surrounding yards including one here.

This stone dated 1766 features an abstract effigy shows what looks like a large nosed figure with a headdress of feathers.   The carving designs seem to be influenced by Benjamin Collins, note the segmented lines and hexfoil rosettes.  Stone for Eunice Martha aged 73.

The Collins Family carvers are represented here, two stones from Benjamin and four from Zerubabel.

This Benjamin Collins tombstone dated 1743 is a very well 

preserved example of his work.

This stone for John Storrs is a fine example of 

Zerubabel Collins early work.

Another stone by Zerubabel, backdated at 1746, would actually have been carved in the mid 1750s to early 1760s based on design tropes.

The stone marking the grave of Esther Barrow, carved by Jonathan Loomis

of Coventry dated 1761.  Note the Gershom Bartlett influence on the wings.

Another stone by Loomis dated 1770. Loomis had many variations

of designs on his sones, notice the 3 lobed wings, vine borders and 

Wheeler style Hexigrams not to mention stone shape as compared

to the one above. 3 stones carved by Johnathan Loomis are in the

Olde Mansfield Center Cemetery.

A single stone carved by Lebanon carver John Huntington is 

present in this cemetery, dated 1765.

A beautiful winged soul marble stone for Rezolved Stevens dated

1792.  Carver unknown.  Possibly imported from Vermont where

marble was a common stone for grave making.

Crude fieldstone marked "E.H Dyed Febuary 19th 1721 aged 26.

This being the oldest surviving stone in the yard.

Now for some more awaited Obadiah Wheeler stones.

This stone dated 1722, is the oldest Wheeler stone

in this cemetery.  The material however is not schist

but appears to be some form of local soapstone.

This stone dated 1732 is another varient of Wheelers stylings. Notice the sphere designs on the borders, and comma shaped symbols mixed in.  Wheeler was very imaginative in his carving work.

The stone of Hannah Williams dated 1742, is another example of a 3d carved face by Wheeler, also notice the heart under the face, hexfoils, and abstract symbols underneath the epitaph.  This stone was featured in the book "The Colonial Burying Grounds of Eastern CT and the men who made them" by James A Slater.

Another Wheeler stone dated 1733. By the early 1730s he began using 

closed eyes on his stones, though still used open eyes on others. 

Another earlier Wheeler stone, dated 1727.  Borders resemble some used by John

Hartshorne.  Around 10 Wheeler stones are in this yard.  

Besides some great examples of Mannings early work, many higher quality expensive Manning stones are viewable here.

One of the premium Manning stones, about 6 feet tall dated 1784.  Manning 

would often use elaborate borders and shapes on his more expensive work.

Another example of Mannings early bat wing style on this stone dated 1770. 

Another elaborate Manning stone dated 1775.

Stone dated 1795 possibly carved by Josiahs son Rockwell due to the mouth and

 eyes alignment.  Josiah was working with with his sons Fredrick and Rockwell

in the grave carving trade by the mid 1780s , and usually their stones are 

impossible to tell apart.

An odd Manning sandstone dated 1762 though certainly backdated.  Manning seemed to have

found a source of very pure sandstone in the late 1770s and used it to make stones from the later 

1770's to the late 1780's, though still predominantly using schist.  Many of these stones are

viewable in the old Norwichtown Burying ground, though only one was here in Mansfield.

Elegant Manning stone dated 1786.

An example of a more standard Manning

stone, dated 1802.

Row of stones carved by Obadiah Wheeler.  The carving dates are chronological so one can view the progression in his designs and stylistic elements.  

Mix of the premium Manning manning stones.

 

View of the center of the Cemetery. Stones carved by Gershom Bartlett and Josiah Manning are visible, plus a Brownstone table style grave.

A few stones from Aaron Hasking and the Upswept Wing Carver were also present though I did not get a chance to get any photos of them at the time.  The latest Soul effigy stone here was carved in 1807.

Post Colonial style stones.

A single portland brownstone headstone

was in the yard, dated 1802. 

A Schist urn stone dated 1816.  Note the more

traditional shape of the stone.   Schist was still

a common grave making material in the region 

despite the increasing popularity of marble 

until the mid 1820s.

Interesting Schist stone dated 1810, the polished

appearance of these is abnormal for stones of

this era. 

Marble urn and willow stone dated 1804.

Schist stone dated 1810.

Schist Urn and Willow stone dated 1816.

A single urn and willow type slate dated 1824, likely imported from 

Rhode Island based on design.

Marble slab stone dated 1814 with Urn and 

Willow and pillar column designs.  Reminds

 me of some designs used on Boston 

slates of the same era.

Hope you all enjoyed!

Old Yard Cemetery Columbia Connecticut, September 2020

 I visited the Old Yard Burying Ground in Columbia CT last september, plenty of great stones and most of the major eastern CT granite schist carvers were represented well here.

The most common carvers here were of course the Collins Family carvers, Benjamin Collins and his son Zerubabel.  Benjamin moved to Columbia from Salisbury Mass in the early 1700s, and was not only a stone carver, but a fine woodworker.  His stones while skillful and elaborate, have the touch of a woodworker with their elegant but thin carvings, that often faded through time when compared to the work of other Schist carvers.   He was influenced by the Carver Obadiah Wheeler of Lebanon who's work can also be found in this yard.  Many examples of his stones are visible at the Old Yard.  

The photo on the left is a tombstone for Richard Lyman dated 1746 is one of the nicest examples of his work I have seen.  His carved on a considerably darker granite schist then most other carvers.

Another fine example of his work from the 1740s, 

though the thin carvings fading is very evident.

Though the majority of Benjamins work featured a

winged soul effigy, he did occasionally carve stones 

with only floral patterns or plant designs.  Several

are viewable at the Old yard, this one dated 1737.

This stone shows while faded, was still legible. The 

lighting reflected off the shiny texture of the granite, 

resulting in me being unable to read the dates or names

 from the photo. 

Zerubabel Collins carried on the family business in Columbia starting around 1749.  His earliest work was similar to his fathers, though still discernible.  While I did not see any of those early stones at the Old Yard, some are present in other Colonial cemeteries in the region including the Norwichtown Burying Ground, Windham Center Cemetery, and the Woodstock Hill Cemetery.  Zerubabel's stone designs evolved several times, and by 1755, while still somewhat reminiscent of his fathers work, had changed a lot, and he was now carving on a lighter shade of schist.  Plenty of these "Second Generation" stones were mixed in the yard.

The stone of Jofiah Lyman dated 1760 is 

a great example of Zerubabels work. While

the overall stone shape and design has

evolved away from Benjamins style,

the soul effigy and borders are clearly

reminiscent of his fathers designs.

The grave of Benjamin Collins dated 1759

carved by his son Zerubabel.  One can only

imagine the emotions Zerubabel felt while 

carving his fathers tombstone.  Notice the 

gravestone in the rear, carved by Benjamin

his legacy forever to loom over his final 

resting place.

From the mid 1760s onward Zerubabel's work showed

more detail oriented effigies and designs, showing

very impressive craftsmanship.  The stark differences

 in his work after 10 years is drastic,

(R - 1759, L - 1769)

 These two stones dated 1776, are great examples 

as to why Zerubabel was considered one of the 

finest New England carvers of the later 1700s. 

 .

Zerubabel moved to Vermont in 1778 and 

continued carving out of locally sourced 

white marble.  The business decision proved

viable, as he gained even more popularity

now carving stones for yards in New York, 

New Hampshire, and even as far as Halifax 

Canada.  When he visited CT in later years, 

he would often get orders for stones, two

of these Vermont carved stones are found

in the Old Columbia Yard.  He died in 1797,

still carving a few months before he died.

Over 100 stones from both Benjamin and Zerubabel Collins are in the Old Columbia Yard. 

Though the work of the Collings Family dominated their hometown burial ground, plenty of other Eastern Connecticut carvers work are represented here.  

This stone dated 1756 was carved by 

Gershom Bartlett of Bolton CT.  His

stones are common all over eastern CT 

Burying grounds.

A double stone for two brothers, carved by Gershom Bartlett

The stone is backdated as Bartlett did not start carving 

until 1747 while the death dates read 1737 and 1744.

A total of 6 stones carved by Bartlett are in the Old Yard.

This ornate stone dated 1779, was carved by 

Josiah Manning. While Manning was the 

dominant carver in the region in the later 1700s, 

only 8 stones can be found in the Columbia yard.

This stone carved by Lebbeus Kimball dated 1779,

 is the only example of his work in the Old Yard. He 

 lived in Pomfret CT and worked with his father  

Richard in the family grave carving business, their 

stones common in the Northeast part of the state. 

Josiah Manning's dominant style inspired 

several carving imitators, the most notable

being Aaron Haskins who carved this

stone in 1798.

Though only a few Manning stones  

are in the yard,  Aaron Haskins was

well represented with a total of 

24 stones mixed around the yard.

This stone was carved by Johnathan Loomis

of Coventry. Though his stones are common in

other nearby yards, only two are present in the Old

Yard.  Once again, despite the fine condition,

of the stone, the lighting has made it near 

impossible to read any dates or names.

This stone dated 1789 was carved by an unknown 

 carver, often referred to as the "Columbia Nun 

Carver" due to the hooded angelic figure 

present on the designs.  Two of these stones

can be found in the Old Yard.

This stone dated 1802, was carved by an unknown 

carver, often called The Upswept Wing Carver. 

Nineteen examples of his work can be viewed 

at the yard.

This mystery stone baffles me.  Instead of the usual

soul effigy design, this stone uses a family crest.

While some carvers in Connecticut have been

known to use Coat of Arms on occasion, this

 stone does not appear to be the work of any of 

the usual suspects. In his book about eastern 

Connecticut burying grounds, James Slater 

predicts this is the work of Gershom Bartlett 

but is not fully certain. Dated 1746.

While stones carved by Amasa Loomis and Obadiah Wheeler are also present, the photographs I took of those stones turned out very poor, and I intend on eventually revisiting the yard when in the area.  No colonial era brownstone tombstones are in the yard.

As many folks who study early American history know, the urn and willow gravestone design began to gain prominence in the 1790's, and almost completely replaced the old Winged Soul effigies by 1820.  The plain slab design began gaining prominence in the early 1810's, especially when marble was replacing Schist/Brownstone as the main headstone material during the 1810's and 1820's.

An example of a schist stone with the Urn

and willow design in the yard, dated 1809. 

Notice the overall headstone shape is still

 in the style that was used through the

colonial period. 

A less common sun design on a marble headstone

dated 1805.  The setting sun design was a common 

design on Rhode Island slate stones, and was

rarely used by CT carvers.

Marble stone dated 1815.  This tombstone shape

 was often used on marble, brownstone and slate

 stones in this period, depending on the region.

Some Rhode Island slate carvers used this shape

until well into the 1860s.

Another schist example dated 1811, still retaining 

a more traditional shape.  Some of these stones

were carved by the Upswept carver, who made 

the switch to Urn and Willow designs, while

still carving some soul effigy stones, assumedly

due to customer requests.

Brownstone grave dated 1807.  Though none from

the colonial period are present here, a fair amount 

of post 1800 brownstones are scattered around.

Example of Schist and marble slabs,

The dominant design by the 1830s.

The dwindling carvers who still used

 schist, tried to emulate contemporary

 designs while using cheaper material.

Late period brownstone slab dated 1828. Clearly

emulating the now dominant plain marble slabs.

View of the some 1800's stones. You can get the picture of the grave carving shift of materials and tombstone shapes and designs that occurred during this time from this photo,

Mix of later 1700's stones, mostly work of Zerubabel Collings and Upswept Wing carver.

View facing from the street overlooking the yard.  Hope you all enjoyed the photos!