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Guilford Receives Neglected Cemetery Grant

There are numerous small family cemeteries scattered around Guilford, and as families have died out or moved away, some of those cemeteries have fallen into disrepair. The town recently acquired some state funds to help preserve and restore those cemeteries.

Back in July, First Selectman Matt Hoey said he had recently received an email from the State Office of Policy and Management about some obscure grant programs for which the town could apply. One such grant was the Neglected Cemetery Account Grant Program for a total of $2,500 to help, as the name suggests, restore neglected cemeteries.

Resident a local historian Tracy Tomaselli helped the town work through which cemetery to select for the application. Tomaselli said most of the large cemeteries in town have a board of directors that manages the care and upkeep of the property, but many small cemeteries don’t, which may lead to the state of neglect and disrepair. Looking at a couple of smaller cemeteries that need help, Tomaselli said Goldsmith Cemetery was selected for the grant application.

Goldsmith Cemetery, located on Moose Hill Road, is the resting place of the Goldsmith family and a neighboring family. Tomaselli said the Goldsmith family members were refugees from Long Island during the American Revolution and younger members of the family later went on to serve in the Civil War.

Three headstones are broken, the land itself is overgrown, and one of the stone walls is damaged according to Tomaselli.

“The grant will allow for the removal of fallen tree limbs and overgrowth vegetation,” she said. “The grant is a valuable resource to honor those interred in the cemetery. There is no cost to the town, and if there is an additional need, funds may be requested on an annual basis.”