I love cemeteries, and I love old cemeteries in particular. The one on Block Island is very special. It’s on a hillside facing the sea, and it is completely representative of the community that has been out there for centuries. The same names dominate. Ball. Littlefield. Mott. Dodge. Champlin. I went there a bunch of times so these photos obviously came from different days. When I went there with Siobhan and Ben, Siobhan found the little “Westcott” plot, with Pat’s ancestors buried there. Lots of engraved anchors and ships. Lots of vessels lost at sea. This is the ocean life. Every stone seems to have a story. It takes a bit to get accustomed to all the graves of babies. There was one family plot where there were 5 children, 4 of whom died as babies, and the 5th only lived til 24. I stared as hard as I could at the moss-eaten stones of the two parents, who both far outlived all of their children, trying to see into the past, and feel what they must have felt. Their lives seemed to be right at my fingertips, I felt very close to them, or to something. It was overwhelming. The saddest stone I saw was a tiny white rounded one, half sunk into the earth, and all it said on it was: “Infant Child”. Either the name of the baby has been submerged in the dirt, or it died before it could be named. Sweet little thing. It’s a beautiful place, perched on a high hill, with an amazing windy view of hills and ocean, with the ancestors of the families living there now, all buried there. In creepier moments it reminded me of Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology, and, even more bleak, Our Town, because nobody wants the afterlife to be like the ones depicted in both works of literature. There were times, on cloudy days, in a Spoon River mood, when all of the “He rests in Jesus” epitaphs seemed more like wishful thinking and a staving off of anxiety. What griefs lie here, what regrets, and unforgiven feuds? What things left unsaid? What pain? Having the space to think about these things, which is really the beginning of storytelling, of narratives, imagining your way into the lives of others, is one of the reasons I love cemeteries so much. But it really is a peaceful place, with families all buried together, facing seaward.
I walk in a cemetery most days and wouldn’t have found my son’s name, Hugh, if I didn’t. When I worked on my genealogy I wept for all the babies and children who died – 14 kids 4 make it to 20.
“Darling, we miss thee.”
You mentioned it earlier this week, but seeing it makes me ache.
What a beautiful, sad, special place.
Yes, that one just really got to me. The girl’s name was Annie.
I also wonder about the “lost in sight of home and loved ones”. Shipwreck, I am imagining, but still – there is something so horrifying in that phrase.
Haunting.
Aunt Dorcas Champlin, buried next to her husband John, seems to have a nice spot. Great photos Sheila.
I love walking in cemeteries too – especially the little one here in my hometown – a president of the Texas Republic is buried here, as well as several people involved in the colonization of Texas and the Tx Revolution. There is one little grave off to the side that I always now visit – its so lonesome looking, no one else is buried with him. All it says is “William Mann, born in Essex England, buried in Rosenberg, Aged 42” and below that is “Hope looks beyond the bounds of time.” I was so taken by this when I first saw it, I went looking to see if it was part of a greater poem – turns out it was a very classical epitaph “Hope looks beyond the bounds of time, when what we now deplore, shall rise in full immortal prime, to bloom and fade no more.”
Last time I was there, someone left silk flowers on his grave. That made me so happy.
Hi Sheila, Love your cemetery photos. Wonder if you would allow me to use one or two on my Block Island informational website.
Kelly
I have relatives buried on Block Island. Capt. John W. Smith, Hardy and Helen Smith and Jack. Capt. Smith was given the Carnegie Gold medal of Bravery for rescuing passengers from a sinking ship in a February storm. His sons received college scholarships. The Hardy Smith House is where I stayed as a child, in my grandparents home. Front room on the second floor. I live in Michigan and can’t visit often. I read recently that this cemetery was vandalized. I will probably be buried there. Thank you so much for the photos. They mean a lot to me to see them and bring tears of melancholy.
Wow! I just spent about an hour at this cemetery just yesterday!!! I took several photographs of some of the gravestones. Each year I spend one weekend on Block Island with nine friends. (The house where we stay is actually in one of your photos!) Every year, I walk to that cemetery and usually take photos. What caught my eye on this visit to the cemetery were three little gravestones of infants who died from the same family (children of Ambrose and Laura Rose). Going online doing genealogy research this afternoon, I discovered that this couple finally did have one child who actually survived to adulthood. She married and had children. So that family continues to have descendants.
I love cemeteries! I see them of places of great sorrow and yet also of great joy. So many people who are buried in older cemeteries had such faith in God and His son Jesus. In the midst of their deep sorrow for the loss of a loved one, they knew that there really is a place where we go when we die where there is no more sickness, no more pain, no more tears. So, yes, the stories of their deaths bring tears to my eyes because the surviving relatives and friends suffered such tremendous loss…..and yet I am at the same time filled with joy to know that many of the people buried there have been reunited with their loved ones.
Thank you for sharing these great photos!
I ran across an account of the “lost in sight of family” as I have been chasing Captain Samuel Dunn and Nathanael Dunn in history. Dunn’s Landing still shows on maps a bit north of Dodge Cemetery. If I see that article again, I will post a link of content for you. Dale Edly
I love to visit cemeteries has well. Always looking for the family. You captured one of them in your photos. I was wondering where is this on Block island. I am traveling up there later this month and plan to explore Block Island. Any help would be appreciated
Kay, I am not sure if there is more than one cemetery, but it’s a very small island – this one you can’t miss. It’s sort of behind New Harbor. Center Road takes you right by it.
It was wonderful to come across your photos.
I am a stone carver and will be giving a guided cemetery tour of the Block Island cemetery Sunday July 18th at 7pm. Again August 22cd at 7pm..
The focus this time will be on the sculpture that appears in the oldest sections.
There are several cemeteries acoss the island.
This is the town cemetery and the largest.
Others are small family plots of great interest and the Indian Burial grounds up past the airport.
My husbands people are from BI and it was in that cemetery I discovered Captain Eli Sprague and named my third child Eli .
Beautiful outdoor sacred museaum.
Cpt. Cornelius Rose was my great grandfather. I remember going into the cemetery many times as I was growing up. The little stone with the rose on top is a baby that died that would have been a sibling of my fathers.
Sherilyn – thank you so much for sharing that!
I love these photos. Thank you so much for posting them. I have not been to Block Island, but hope to visit in the next couple of years. I live in Utah and am a 10th generation grandson to Trustrum. I have 3 sons and 6 grandchildren.
William – thank you so much for commenting! I hope you get to Block Island real soon. I miss it!
On our last visit to the island we spent most of a day looking through every cemetery we could find. We are searching for the Rathbun family history. There was one cemetery we could not locate somewhere west of Corn Neck RD. I believe it’s the Sheffield site, BI009. I guess the location of John Rathbun’s burial is a mystery. Block Island is an awesome place.
Hi, Recently I took a guided tour of Block Island and as we were going by the cemetary the tour guide happened to mention that back in the day, people were buried with 3 things. Can’t remember for the life of me what they were and cannot find anything on-line about it either. I remember thinking how profound it was when she said it though. Old age kicking in for me? Possibly, but, I sure would appreciate any assistance you could give me. Trying to remember is driving me crazy! Thanks so much!
Debi – Hmmm – I have no idea! It sounds very intriguing. I’ll ask my sister who lived out on Block Island for a while, teaching in the elementary school there. She might know!