Stories Carved in Stone Photo Gallery

Cemetery gravestone photo album
Category Albums Files
CarversKnowing a specific carver's distinguishing styles can help you to identify his work in various graveyards.
20 88
John Ely


deep.jpg

A West Springfield native, John Ely began carving in the 1760s, and was probably trained by William Holland or Joseph Williston. His shop was located almost directly across the Great River from Williston, a contemporary carver. With a distinctive cherub carved in deep relief on his more expensive stones, John's work can be easily identified in numerous burying grounds up and down the Connecticut River Valley.

14 files, last one added on Aug 03, 2008

Joseph Williston


Noble_sarah_17_wifeof_thomas.jpg

Joseph Williston was another Springfield carver who was very likely trained by William Holland during his short stay in the area. Williston's shop was located approximately at the end of the current Liberty Street, on the banks of the Connecticut River. A very brief carving career, ending with his death in 1768, produced a large quantity of gravestones throughout the valley.

6 files, last one added on Aug 03, 2008

The Stebbins Shop


Mosely_abigail_1788.jpg

The Stebbins Shop produced an abundance of stones out of Longmeadow in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The Farber Collection attributes at least twelve distinctive styles to the Stebbins School. While we are still unsure of the individual carver's names, we know where they worked.

10 files, last one added on Aug 03, 2008

Aaron Bliss


martindale_ruth_1765.jpg

Aaron Bliss commonly carved his gravestones from a chocolate colored stone quarried out of the Wilbraham area. His cherubs have wings which resemble a beagle’s floppy ears. In Westfield, his work also appears on red sandstone, likely originating from the Longmeadow quarries.

5 files, last one added on Aug 03, 2008

Stanclift Family


pratt_lydia_1730.jpg

The Stanclifts were one of the earliest and most influential of the carving families of the lower Connecticut River Valley. Their work extends from the late 1600s into the nineteenth century and includes five generations of carvers. The various Stanclifts worked in sandstone; that used for stones in eastern Connecticut came from their great quarry in Portland.

William Stanclift (1686-1761) was the oldest son of James I. Like his father he carved in capital letters, and some of his stones also have evenly rounded tops. William, however, produced stones with designs, including some delightful folk-skulls and Halloween-like faces. His more common stones are shouldered and have nicely executed but simple rosettes in the finials. He used the “thorn” in his legends, which James I never did. William’s stones are distributed throughout the Connecticut River Valley even into Massachusetts and also along the coastal areas of eastern Connecticut.

From: Slater, James A. The Colonial Burying Grounds of Eastern Connecticut and the Men Who Made Them. Memoirs of the Connecticut Academy of Arts & Sciences, vol. 21. Hamden, Connecticut: Archon Books, 1987.

3 files, last one added on Nov 26, 2006

Thomas Johnson Family


Bull_Nehemiah_1740.jpg

The Thomas Johnson family worked out of the Middletown, Ct. quarries, actually called the Johnson quarries locally. Producing gravestones for over one hundred years, they heavily influenced the work of many Connecticut River carvers. The elder Thomas was one of the first gravestone carvers in the area to exhibit preplanned lettering on his stones, and the quality of his letters shows care and attention to detail rarely found on earlier stones.

6 files, last one added on Jul 26, 2008

Aaron Haskins


olmsted_david_1787.jpg

Aaron Haskins was heavily influenced by the Manning and Collins schools of carving. Based out of Bolton, Ct, he was an accomplished carver. His cherub in the tympanum of the David Olmsted stone was so unusual, we featured it on the cover of the Enfield Connecticut: Stories Carved in Stone book.

1 files, last one added on Oct 25, 2006

Gershom Bartlett


pease_obadias.jpg

Gershom Bartlett began his carving career in the Windsor, Ct. area, where he carved on the local sandstone. After moving to Bolton, Ct. in 1751, he began carving extensively on the local schist, quite a different texture and consistency from the sandstone he was accustomed to carving in Windsor. Even after moving to Bolton, he retained his loyal customer base in Enfield, as both sandstone and schist stones bearing his carvings can be found there.

2 files, last one added on Oct 25, 2006

Ebenezer Drake


diggins_nancy_1782.jpg

Ebenezer Drake carved out of the South Windsor sandstone quarries with his brothers, Silas and Nathaniel. Ebenezer was a carver who seemed to be constantly dissatisfied with his work, as he constantly moved from style to style. As he grew older, he let his imagination run more freely, resulting in stones which were often said to scare children out of the burying grounds after dark.

1 files, last one added on Oct 25, 2006

Lathrop Family


hale_emele_julia.jpg

The Lathrop family, consisting of Thatcher, the father, and Loring and Luther, the sons, worked out of the same sandstone quarry as the Drake brothers in South Windsor, Ct. Strongly influenced by the Mannings of southern Connecticut, they brought the popular style to the north.

1 files, last one added on Oct 26, 2006

William Holland


cooley_mary_1758.jpg

William Holland had a brief, but very influential, stay in the Springfield area during the mid 1700s. He apprenticed under Joseph Johnson, carving out of the East Windsor quarries. While working together, they gained a reputation for heavy drinking, running up large rum tabs at the local taverns. His style of carving cherubs will be seen for fifty years after he left the area.

3 files, last one added on Nov 26, 2006

Ezra Stebbins


Mosely_John_Col_1780.jpg

Ezra Stebbins began a prolific carving shop in Longmeadow, MA in the mid 1700s, and his early work bears a strong resemblance to that of William Holland.

7 files, last one added on Aug 03, 2008

20 albums on 2 page(s) 1

CemeteriesSo many stones, so little documentation. Interesting stones carved by as yet unidentified craftsmen.
15 39
Enfield Street Cemetery


hale_thomas_wives.jpg

2 files, last one added on Oct 25, 2006

Adams Cemetery


bliss_lois_1786.jpg

1 files, last one added on Nov 06, 2006

Chester Center Cemetery


campbell_william_1782.jpg

4 files, last one added on Nov 08, 2006

Laurel Hill Cemetery


nims_sophia_1807.jpg

1 files, last one added on Nov 08, 2006

Springfield Cemetery


bliss_thomas_1733.jpg

2 files, last one added on Jan 04, 2007

Union Street Cemetery


Ely_Levy_1731.jpg

1 files, last one added on Jan 03, 2007

West Granville Cemetery


brockway_gedion_1784.jpg

1 files, last one added on Jan 04, 2007

Suffield Center Cemetery


ruggles_crypt.jpg

1 files, last one added on Jan 15, 2007

Historic Deerfield


hawks_elizabeth_back.jpg

1 files, last one added on Jan 15, 2007

Ashleyville Cemetery


Ashley_Solomon_Caroline_1864.jpg

1 files, last one added on Jun 02, 2007

Old Mundale Cemetery


cowles_nancy_1813.jpg

1 files, last one added on Jul 20, 2008

Old Burying Ground - aka Mechanic Street Cemetery


old_bury_ground_plaq.jpg

16 files, last one added on Aug 30, 2008

15 albums on 2 page(s) 1

English CemeteriesFollowing a recent trip to England, it was found that over 7000 photographs made the trip back. Most of them were cemetery-related. The lure of Stories Carved in Stone made its way across the Atlantic.
1 2
Bere-Regis


casher_john_1864.jpg

2 files, last one added on Oct 27, 2006

 

1 albums on 1 page(s)

ObelisksWhen Napoleon had the Luxor obelisk brought back to Josephinge in 1831, it began a new craze in funerary art around the world. In the latter half of the 1800s, obelisks began to appear in many local cemeteries.
1 1
Sandstone


robinson_jonas_1880.jpg

1 files, last one added on Nov 06, 2006

 

1 albums on 1 page(s)

Unusual CarvingsRandom oddities found in our wanderings.
1 2
Marble


ripley_abraham_1835.jpg

2 files, last one added on Jan 04, 2007

 

1 albums on 1 page(s)

User galleriesThis category contains albums that belong to Coppermine users.
8 0
ZincsMarketed as 'white bronze'. zinc monuments were popular from the late 1800s until World War I, when the factories turned to munitions output for the war effort. With four removable panels, updating family information was easy and economical. Many of these monuments look brand new after more than one hundred years in the elements of New England.
1 3
Zinc monuments


cook_zinc.jpg

3 files, last one added on Jul 27, 2008

 

1 albums on 1 page(s)

135 files in 47 albums and 7 categories with 0 comments viewed 1949 times

Random files
Loomis_Enoch_1801.jpg
Enoch Loomis 18010 viewsSacred
to the memory of
Mr Enoch Loomis
who died June 7
1803
in the 54 year
of his age

My eyes though long in darkness veild
Must wake the judge to see
And every word and every thought
Must pass his scrutiny
O may I in the judge behold
My savior and my friend
And far beyond the reach of death
With all his saints ascend
King_pamela_1813.jpg
Pamela King 18130 viewsInteresting cherub carving at a time
when almost all carvers in the area
had changed over to willow and urn motif

In Memory of
Mrs Pamela wife
of Mr William
King daughter of
John Phelps Esqr
and Mrs Mercy
his wife died
22 Dec 1813
aged 40 years
bliss_lois_1786.jpg
Lois Bliss 178613 views
Mosely_Seth_1803.jpg
Seth Mosely 18031 viewsSeth Son of Mr
Wm & Mrs Lydia
Mosely died
10th Aug't 1803
AET 19 Months

The blossom promis'd
fruit but was nipt
in the Bloom
Err its charms ware
expanded it was
buried in the tomb
diggins_nancy_1782.jpg
Nancy Diggins 178250 viewsHere lies Interred ye
Remains of Mrs
Nancy Consort of
Mr Augustus Dig
gins who Departed
this life April 25th
AD 1782 in ye 26th
Year of her Age
martindale_ruth_1765.jpg
Ruth Martindale 17653 viewsIn Memory of
Mrs Ruth the
wife of Mr Edw'd
Martindale
who died Jan'y
ye 19th 1765
in the 63rd Year
of her Age
deep.jpg
Deep Relief42 viewsJohn the Carver's top of the line gravestone for the affluent and prominent members of society.

Photo by Rusty
Madsley_Noah_2Yrs_1735.jpg
Noah Madsley 17350 viewsFascinating bat wing skull carving in the tympanum, pinwheel shoulders, and simplistic vine borders. This made the cover of the Westfield volume of Stories Carved in Stone.

Last additions
clark_submit_1794.jpg
Submit Clark0 viewsIn Memory of
Mrs Submit Clark
wife of Mr Deacn
John Clark who
died March 1794
aged 82 years
Sep 01, 2008
thorp_girls.jpg
Mary and Elvira Thorp1 viewsThis marble stone honoring Mary and Elvira Thorp, daughters of Eli and Mary, shows the effects of careless gravestone rubbing. You can see the brown staining of wax left behind. If you do gravestone rubbing, please make sure that you leave the stone in the same condition you find it.Sep 01, 2008
owens_obelisk.jpg
Owens Obelisk1 viewsThe Owens obelisk in the family plot in the Owens District Cemetery. All four sides have been inscribed with an abundance of family information.Sep 01, 2008
old_bury_ground_plaq.jpg
Old Burying Ground Plaque2 viewsOld Burying Ground

Original burying ground
of the first Westfield settlers
in use circa 1670 to mid-1800's
over 1100 headstones remain
about 500 unmarked graves
earliest dated stone 1683.
The mortal remains of the early settlers
farmers, craftsmen, clergymen, soldiers - the men,
women and children of the frontier town are
here interred.
Included in their number are civic leaders
and veterans of the colonial wars and the
Revolutionary War. From private to general.
Aug 30, 2008
jones_obelsk.jpg
Orrin Jones 18631 viewsOrrin Jones
Died
Aug 3, 1863
Aged 45 Yrs
9 Mos
Aug 30, 2008
Noble_sarah_17_wifeof_thomas.jpg
Sarah Noble6 viewsIn Memory of
Mrs Sarah
Wife of
Mr Thomas Noble
who died July 19
Aug 03, 2008
Noble_Betsy_1807.jpg
Betsy Noble 18072 viewsMrs Betsy consort of
Mr Henry Noble
was born 25th Octr 1781
Died 7th March 1807
AEt 26
Eliza there daughter
was born 21st July 1804
Died 28th Sepr 1806

My dear and loving wife
the partner of my life
whom I did highly prize
my only daughter dear
by death cald to lie here
til Christ shall bid
them rise
Aug 03, 2008
Mosely_Sophia_1811.jpg
Sophia Moseley 18113 viewsIn memory of
Mrs Sophia
Moseley
Relict of Mr Pliny
Moseley who died
suddenly Dec 16th
1811 AEt 47

How many fall so sudden
not as safe!
Aug 03, 2008