The Connecticut State Museum of Natural History and Connecticut Archaeology Center, part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at UConn, presents “What We Can Learn from Old Gravestones: East Hartford’s Center Cemetery.” The program will be lead by Ruth Shapleigh-Brown of the Connecticut Gravestone Network and will be held on Saturday, July 18, 10 am to 12 noon in East Hartford, CT.
Historic cemeteries are found throughout Connecticut, their old gravestones offering clues about the lives of people who helped establish our present-day communities. Who carved these old stones, where did they come from, what does their symbolism mean, and how did that symbolism change over time?
Join Ruth Shapleigh-Brown, Executive Director of the Connecticut Gravestone Network, and discover what old gravestones reveal about our history. Learn what genealogists should know when looking for their ancestors’ burial places—all is not as it appears. You will never look at history and old cemeteries in the same way again. The program will begin with a presentation, and will be followed by a hike exploring East Hartford’s Center Cemetery, considered Hartford’s second cemetery, dating back to 1709, before East Hartford broke away from Hartford. Notable people interred in Center Cemetery include Colonial Connecticut Governor William Pitkin, and the famous privateer Captain Gideon Olmstead. At the end of the cemetery tour, participants are also welcome to tour the Historical Society of East Hartford’s museum complex at nearby Martin Park, featuring the Goodwin Schoolhouse, Makens Bemont House, and Burnham Blacksmith Shop.
The program fee is $15, $10 for Museum members/donors Advance registration is required. This program is for adults and children ages 10 and above. Children must be accompanied by an adult. For further information visit http://www.cac.uconn.edu/mnhcurrentcalendar.html or call 860.486.4460.
Presented by The Connecticut State Museum of Natural History and Connecticut Archaeology Center, part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at UConn.
For more information, contact: Natural History Museum at 860.486.4460