LeRoy Pennysaver & News

LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - JANUARY 23, 2022 by Lynne Belluscio LeRoy has seven abandoned cemeteries which are under the care of the Town of LeRoy. And even through two of the cemeteries are located within the Village, according to state law they have to be maintained by the Town. Across the state, towns are having to deal with the added expenses and maintenance of cemeteries that are abandoned. Most cemeteries in New York State are overseen by the NewYork Cemetery Board which is made up of the New York State Secretary of State, the New York State Attorney General and the New York State Commissioner of Health. Some cemeteries, such as those owned by a Diocese - such as St. Francis Cemetery in LeRoy – do not come under the jurisdiction of the NYS Cemetery Board. But Machpelah Cemetery is under the state jurisdiction. Machpelah has a board of trustees which oversees its maintenance and its finances. If for some reason, the cemetery cannot meet its financial obligations, then the cemetery can be declared abandoned and it is turned over to the town. The seven abandoned cemeteries in LeRoy have been abandoned since before 1954. This coming year, signs will be installed at all seven abandoned cemeteries. Through a program with the Genesee County Highway Sign Department, these signs can be created at no expense to the town and will be installed by the Town Highway Department. Here is some information about some of the cemeteries. The cemetery located on East Main Road is the oldest cemetery in LeRoy. The first recorded burial, as noted on a stone, in 1801, however, in a pioneer history, it is written that in the late 1700s, when the earliest settlers came into the region, a young couple walked into the Ganson Settlement, carrying the body of their dead child. They asked if there was a burying ground, and since there was none, arrangements were made to bury the child on a piece of private land. This land was eventually donated as a burying ground. The child’s grave was on the west side of the East Main Cemetery, which became known as the Buell Cemetery. Later it was known as the Limerock Cemetery and today is more commonly known as the Cemetery on East Main Road. In the 1950s, a survey was done of the existing stones and published. Again, about 15 years ago, the Historical Society created a 20 x 20 foot grid and recorded and photographed all the stones. That collection of photographs is on file at the Historical Society. Since that time, the Town has invested in having the stones realigned. There are many notable people buried at the cemetery, which includes Revolutionary War veterans, War of 1812 veterans and Civil War veterans. Their graves are marked each year by a flag on Memorial Day by members of the American Legion. It appears that the last burial might have been made in 1943. The cemetery on top of the hill east of Pamelee Road, has its first recorded burial in 1807. Known also at the Fort Hill Cemetery, many of the earliest settlers from this area were buried here. The cemetery has been difficult to maintain, and can only be reached by a long dirt access road, that is not wide enough to allow cars or trucks to the summit. The cemetery is overgrown with vines and poison ivy, and walking in the cemetery is very dangerous, because of fallen trees and sunken graves. The stones were inventoried included in McNall’s publication. It has not been surveyed by the Historical Society. Probably, the next cemetery to be established would be the cemetery on Church Street. It is one of two cemeteries within the Village of LeRoy, but is maintained by the Town. For some reason, this cemetery was not surveyed by McNall. Known as the St. Mark’s Cemetery, it was established when St Mark’s Church established its congregation around 1817 .This burying ground surrounded the old St. Mark’s Church, and a very primitive map exists that shows burials, but because many of these burials and stones were moved to Machpelah Cemetery when the church was torn down, and St. Mark’s Street was built, the earliest burial cannot be confirmed. The Historical Society began a survey of the existing stones, but it was never completed. The cemetery and St. Mark’s Church were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021. The official historic marker will be placed at the church, and a new historic marker will be purchased to be placed at the cemetery. The other cemeteries that will be marked this coming year will be: Van Allen Cemetery on Asbury Road 1814; the Myrtle Street Cemetery 1815; Twing Road Cemetery 1816; the Langworthy Cemetery on Keeney Road 1821; and the “Jug City” Cemetery also known as Tomlinson’s Mill Cemetery on East Bethany Road 1824. The Historical Society often has requests for grave site information and people also use “Find a Grave.” Additional information is being gathered and will be on file for folks to use. LeRoy’s Abandoned Cemeteries To the left of these stones is the unmarked grave of the first burial in LeRoy (the Ganson Settlement)1797.