Pike County Jury List, February Term, 1842

Jeffersonian Republican, Stroudsburg, Pa., 02 Feb. 1842.
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress

Galen Bennet's 1877 Guided Tour of Laurel Grove Cemetery

 

The Evening Gazette, Port Jervis, N.Y., August 18, 1877:

 

At Laurel Grove 

Galen Bennet's father-in-law, John Conkling

A Visitor's Tour Through Our Beautiful Cemetery.

To the Editor of the Gazette:

...Taking a stroll the other day to Laurel Grove Cemetery I met in there the genial proprietor of Laurel Grove Marble Works who kindly accompanied me through the grounds, showing me the points of interest.  He has grown up with our cemetery, which was begun eighteen years ago.  There were but two monuments on the grounds at that time, one on the lot of Ferguson and the other on the lot of John Conkling. The latter's has been remodeled, and he has erected every enclosure (but three) on the grounds.  My attention was called to a new galvanized bar drooping chain and tassel with marble parts, which must be durable.  One has just been erected around the lot of our friend Ellis Haring, and also one around the lot of James Martin, which stands near the entrance, and makes a fine appearance.  

The Evening Gazette, Port Jervis N.Y., 1888

I find that at least two-thirds of the marble work and granite have come from Bennet's establishment, and that the works of art requiring mechanical skill are from his place. 
I found the grave of an old friend, H. St John, upon the brow of the hill, with a neat stone, and carved upon its face a wreath of the oak and laurel tied together with a ribbon, upon which was inscribed the word "Horace."  As I pronounced the name it seemed as though I might hear him answer.

The Evening Gazette, Port Jervis, N.Y., 1886

Upon the lot of Abram Shimer I found a cottage monument over the grave of Jacob Shimer, showing beauty of design and workmanship.  One of the prettiest lots in our cemetery and always in order is the Lupton lot, in which we find a small monument, and with fluted die finished with a drape urn, and showing conclusively that we have here, in our midst workmen capable of executing anything in that line.

Another fine piece of art is over the grave of Mrs Riddle, designed by Galen Bennet, and executed at his place.  Also a curiosity in the shape of a tree monument upon the lot of the Dorr family.

   

The Evening Gazette, Port Jervis, N.Y., 1888

I went into the manufactory and looked at a handsome design for a Quincy granite monument about 17 feet in height, to be erected upon the lot of the Wickham family.  The design is very pretty and the monument will be an ornament to our cemetery.  Mr. Bennet reports that his sales are largely ahead of last year, showing increased interest by the people in this lovely resting place of the dead.  Surely none of our people can do better than to patronize home institutions.
Yours, Visitor





 
 

Laurel Grove Cemetery, Orange County Art Work, W.H. Parish Publishing Co., 1893

Time and the rivers have taken their toll on the fashionable 19th century landscape where Bennet's marble and granite work is most readily found. In 1907, the U.S. House of Representations received a lengthy Statement, as originally addressed to the Hon. Thomas W. Bradley, from a committee under the auspices of the Broad of Trade of the village, undersigned by: W.H. Nearpass, James Bennet, Merritt C. Speidel, O.P. Howell and Wm F Parshall as addendum to the Corps of Engineers report, An Examination and Survey of Neversink and Delaware rivers.

The Evening Gazette, 1904

The dramatic newspaper account of the ice gorge, A Night of Terror in Port Jervis, written by Mark V. Richards, published on March 9, 1904, details how the Delaware River forced huge quantities of ice up the Neversink destroying the Neversink bridge and damaging the cemetery.

A signed marble tombstone by Galen Bennet 
for Peter Ezekiel Gumaer, 1869

In the 158 years since the cemetery was founded many of the earlier and less durable marble tombstones have fallen prey to beating rain and winter's cycle of freeze/thaw damage. Lichen and mosses thrive in the river mists often obscuring the older marker inscriptions. The monuments of more durable granite remain in relatively good condition except where damaged by falling trees or vandals. The cemetery fencing has been repaired and repainted but of the once elegant iron railing and post enclosures only the posts remain.

"G. Bennet" signature, lower right corner,
Peter E Gumaer tombstone

 Atlas of Orange County, plate 46, A. H. Mueller, 1903, Hudson River Valley Heritage Collection

The list of commissions completed by Galen Bennet's company during his lifetime is too long for this brief exploration of his work.  One cannot walk the quiet pathways in any Tri-state NJ NY & PA cemetery without seeing examples of those efforts though, as marked in the tombstone's lower right hand corner, "G.Bennet".

 

Galen Bennet, 1838 - 1911

Postcard from an 1890s photograph.

Special thanks to Thomas M. Tryniski's www.fultonhistory.com for the newspaper clipping snapshots.

The Minisink Subscribers to the 1810 "Fifty-Three Sermons on the Heidelbergh Catechism"

The New York Public Library's rare copy of the 1810 English language translation of the Dutch edition of Fifty Three Sermons on the Heidelbergh Catechism, by the Rev. John Vanderkemp, is notable for the bound in Subscriber pages featuring a list of well-to-do patrons who underwrote the cost of publication, often in return for a discount. Typically this would be the first print run as delivered to the subscribers - subsequent runs would lack these pages further reducing the cost.  The list of subscribers, a virtual Who's Who of the Dutch Reformed Church in America in 1810, is fascinating for its helpful bracketing of community place names or congregations & heads of families in the Minisink Valley from a period when other records are scarce.  New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania tax and census records offer additional details of subscribers' residence during this time period.  

Surnames variants of the Clove, Flatbrook, Mehakkemack, Menissing, Shappanack and Walpeck families include:  Bennet, Carmer, Carpenter, Cole, Cuddebeck, Depuis, Ennes, Force, Gomar, Hoornbeek, Lambert, Little, Middagh, Neerpass, Quick, Rosencrans, Rowles, Swartwout, Titsworth, Van Aken, Van Bunschooten, Van Campen, Van Gorden, Van Neste, Van Nimwegen, Van Noy, Van Vliet, Vredenburg, Westbrook and Westfall.

James Bennet, Mehakkemack	Wm Titsworth, Clove
Benj. Carpenter, Mehakkemack	Revd. Elias Van Bunschooten, Clove
Benj. Cuddebeck, Mehakkemack	James Van Vliet, Mehakkemack
William Cuddebeck, Mehakkemack	Joseph Van Noy, Mehakkemack
Martin Cole, Mehakkemack	Garrit Van Aken, Mehakkemack
James Carmer, Shappanack	James Van Aken, Mehakkemack
Benjamin Depuis, Menissing	Evert Van Aken, Mehakkemack
Joseph Ennes, Esq. Menissing	Joseph Van Gorden, Mehakkemack
Revd. James G. Force, Walpeck	James Van Gorden, Mehakkemack
Elias Gomar, Mehakkemack	Martin Van Gorden, Mehakkemack
Peter Gomar, Mehakkemack	Joseph Van Aken, Mehakkemack
Benj.  Hoornbeek, Mehakkemack	Daniel Vredenburg, Mehakkemack
S. Lambert,    Mehakkemack	Herman Van Nimwegen, Mehakkemack
Wm. Little,   Mehakkemack	Peter Van Neste, Esq. Flatbrook
Levi Middagh, Mehakkemack	Abm. Van Campen, Esq. Shappanack
Simon Middagh, Mehakkemack	John D. Westbrook, Menissing
David Morrow, Mehakkemack	John I Westbrook, Menissing
Jacob Quick, Mehakkemack	Severin Westbrook, Menissing
Simon Rosecrans, Shappanack	Wm Westbrook, Menissing
Wm. M. Rowles, Mehakkemack	Abm. Westfall, Menissing
Peter Swartwout, Mehakkemack	George D. Westfall, Mehakkemack
	Daniel B. Westfall, Mehakkemack

An Anonymous Minisink Stone Cutter

 

Delaware Cemetery, Dingmans Township, Pike Co PA, 1821

This anonymous artisan's work is found throughout the churchyards and burying grounds of the Minisink Valley from 1802 - 1838.  To date we have discovered no signature to identify him but the stone cutter's use of a distinctive ornament of branching leaves and similar lettering elements can be found on tombstones in all three states.

Richard Veit in New Jersey Cemeteries and Tombstones suggests researching estate records to aid in identifying stone cutters, so a bit more research is in order. Quite possibly this is the work of two stone cutters, perhaps father & son or master & apprentice.







 

Laurel Grove Cemetery, Port Jervis NY, 1820

The 1820 example for Benjamin Carpenter, at left, and that of Jane Van Etten, 1837, are located at Laurel Grove Cemetery.

Correction: Benjamin Carpenter was re-interred from the Carpenter farm burial ground.






 
 

Westcolang, Pike Co. PA 1836

The earliest marker located thus far is that of Nathan Whitlock, 1802, at the Magakamack Churchyard, Port Jervis, Orange Co NY. Additional markers bearing the ornament in this old burying ground include that of Joseph Van Noy, 1833, John Nearpass, 1834, Lydia Van Fleet, 1835.

It is possible that the Whitlock marker was carved some years later than 1802.  Viet cautions that wooden markers decayed and were often replaced by family members some years after the burial.  

Damascus, Wayne Co PA, 1837

Two examples can be found in the Damascus First Baptist churchyard  in Wayne County, PA - that of Elijah Pullis, 1837, at left, and Love Ross, 1833.

The John Ryerson marker located at the Cemetery on Bell Farm in Matamoras, Pike Co PA appears to be dated either 1811 or 1841.   








  

Montague Township, Sussex Co NJ, 1838

Perhaps the most accomplished of the tombstones to use this ornament is that of Blandinah, wife of Severyne Westbrook, in the family burial ground off the Old Mine Road in Montague Township.

Whether this stone was ordered & shipped with the lily frame pre-cut or a design element popular at the time and added by the stone cutter remains unknown. 

Numerous examples of the lily frame around a central circle exist without the added branching leaves ornament of the "Minisink Stone Cutter" during the 1830s and 1840s throughout the region.