Slate Hill Cemetery

A little yardley history for today.

… Yardley PA. West Afton Ave. note trolley tracks on right. Stone fence at a property. Enlarge to see more details- a trolley stop / shelter. I’m
Guessing some of the houses on the left are still there. RPPC by Craven. 1910s. Not mailed but has message & address on reverse. May have been sent in envelope. I’ll have to take this card to Yardley & see what I see on W Afton

It has been hot so not much action at the cemetery these past weeks but I will be back at the Mercer tomorrow for a few hours. Last time I was there I was shown clippings from Bucks County papers in the 1800’s so there will be some meandering and looking for things relevant. The search without a reason can be the most fun.

Here is a picture of Jonathan Johnson. Not someone I have researched yet.

In 1947, the toll collector's house, later the bridge tender's house, was moved from its location beside the Yardley Bridge across the Delaware River. The bridge tender, Chester Wetzstein, bought it and moved it up the street to 73 East Afton Avenue.

Well I guess that is something.

While at the Mercer visited the Doan Gang exhibit which was super cool.

Was in Doylestown today and stopped by Mercer. Got to see the original 1926 map of the cemetery. Pretty cool!!!

Sadly it seems to be only one side and does not include segregated side

For the genealogists out there you are familiar with FindAGrave. Here is our cemetery there. https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2272066/slate-hill-burial-ground?

While doing the research I have been both using findagrave to see who might be some of our missing graves. People that were buried here and that we have on no lists. I am substantiating them via death certificates for the more recent ones. Many certificates say buried in the Stone Graveyard which is us. Some just say yardley so those are left as maybe’s. Yesterday I also GPS marked some of the graves on the segregated side. The goal is you can find any of the markers indicated on Find A Grave by gps.

Slate Hill Burial Ground in Yardley, Pennsylvania - Find a Grave Cemetery Find 291 memorial records at the Slate Hill Burial Ground cemetery in Yardley, Pennsylvania. Add a memorial, flowers or photo.

Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network shares vitally important pieces of Black history. | National Trust for Historic Preservation Inside three museums in the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network.

Our article went up today. It is really nice coverage of the work we have been doing.

Check out this article from phillyburbs:

How group keeps history alive with fixes, upgrades to 17th-century Bucks County cemetery

How group keeps history alive with fixes, upgrades to 17th-century Bucks County cemetery Slate Hill Cemetery received a grant of $33,250 to restore the historic site, clean gravestones, and enrich visitor experiences.

A Little Patterson Farm History!

Our volunteer has also been working on the mysteries of the Catholic section. There will be an new attendee at our Ghost Tour this year. Thanks to our help at the Mercer Also!!!!

For those of you that have not visited Slate Hill. The majority of it it is Quaker from the earlier years and Protestant from the later ones. And one side is segregated. It was donated as the public section but it appears only Black people were buried there.

There is a small fenced in area near the wall to the segregated side with the Downey memorial. We have been told that it was consecrated as Catholic to allow for these burials. It is seeming like here is a little Irish Catholic section which was funded by Mary Downey a long time resident of LMT

A history social!!! I am so in!

We have had a busy few days! Friday three of us were photographed at the cemetery for an upcoming article in the Courier Times. We had a captive audience for all of our stories.

I stayed later and met with a new volunteer!!!!! We figured out my mystery stone in the back (William Brown-the name was on top). I was also taught that in the Findagrave App you can add a GPS link for each stone so we are working our way through that. So much excitement.

We also saw that only a few stones are left to clean!!!!

I also found a few other stones that look to be at least foot markers on the segregated side.

To support our work rehabbing the public/segregated side of the cemetery I am starting some research on the burials there. There was a map in 1993 where there were many markers that were not identified then. I have found a few death certificates for the Derry family that indicate burial there. If you have any information or leads on those buried at Slate HIll or families that may have family information please send them my way. I have gotten some great suggestions on how to do some research. But all help and support is welcome!

Stone below is not super readable and I will be walking by again soon to see if the sun helped make it even clearer.

So many cemeteries so little time

We keep on keeping on. I am glad we are doing the segregated side first. I have found so many markers missing since 1993. We need to protect the remainder.

The Pennsylvania Museum & Historical Commission has awarded 2 grants thanks to the hard work of the LMT Historical Commission:

Certified Local Government grant in the amount of $25,000 to conduct a historic resource survey for the Township along with a story map of findings.

Keystone Historic Preservation Grant in the amount of $33,250.00 for Slate Hill Cemetery.
Phase 1: Fall 2024 - repair & preserve 22 markers on the “Public” or “Segregated” side of the cemetery. This side of the cemetery is sadly undocumented. This project will allow us to confirm who is buried there and where, as well as give them the acknowledgement and respect due.
Phase 2: Spring 2025 - repair & preserve 57 markers throughout the original quaker side of the cemetery- dating back to 1690.

You can follow the work being done at the cemetery on Facebook at Slatehillcemetery

Holey Moley! Your Historical Commission is on fire! We received another grant to help us do some necessary repairs on the headstones at Slate Hill. An engaged community can make a difference!!! Great work to the writers!
Lower Makefield Township

PHMC Details Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) has awarded $2.18 million in Keystone Historic Preservation Grants to help historical and heritage organizations, museums, and local governments in 22 counties.

The very nature of obsessive might be some of your Historical Commission members working in the cemetery this am in this heat.

I am trying to map out the segregated side. We have a survey that was done in 1993. I am quite horrified that so many markers are missing. Granted many of them were not readable in 93 either but so much history lost.

That being said there is a stone in the back of the segregated side. It is on the left. Even after cleaning I cannot read it and I have not found it on maps as of yet. There are also a set of stones further towards the other section still in the back that have some Chambers family members and some additional unreadable stones. I do have some names for those but I think they may be incorrect.

Stone 1 if you are coming from the Wells Fargo side into the segregated section is on your left back in some green growth. The Chambers are as you keep walking across. I will be posting the map I am creating soon. I have to add some information from my visit today.

Juneteenth is a time to both reflect and celebrate. Today, we observe the important step taken toward the end of slavery in the United States and celebrate the strength of the Black community.

Juneteenth is commemorated at the African Burial Ground National Monument in New York, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and many other locations across the country. Interior has the honor of protecting sacred places and histories for the American people, many of which explore enslavement, emancipation and the fight for equality.

Photo of an Emancipation Day celebration band, June 19, 1900, courtesy of Austin History Center

We are already thinking about the 2024 Ghost Tour! Tonight I began researching Susannah C. Thackray Booz. The Thackray family has long ties to Bucks County and LMT.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8144511/susannah-c-booz

Poor Susannah died at age 36. I found her birth in 1817. Like many women of that era she had many children. Still working on this family. If anyone has anything to share please feel free.

Susannah C. Thackray Booz (unknown-1855) - Find a... As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Learn more about managing a memorial .

Little PA history to add to your day!

Communities must work hard to save historic places.

Places Restored, Threatened, Saved, and Lost in Preservation Magazine's Spring 2024 Issue | National Trust for Historic Preservation Five places restored, saved, lost, or threatened in Preservation magazine's Spring 2024 issue.

Enjoy this beautiful weekend and be sure to brake for Ducks!!! And Geese! And Everyone! Just Slow Down!

Braking for Yardley ducks Many years ago, when Mary Anne and I were first married, we lived on Main Street in Yardley. Among the treasures of living in the borough were the ducks of Lake Afton. They added a certain charm, cr…