On Saturday, June 26th I attended a “Discover Vine Lake Cemetery” walking tour put on by the Vine Lake Preservation Trust.The tour guide was Rob Gregg, President of the Trust. The two-hour tour covered such points as the oldest and most significant graves in the cemetery and the three types of “cemetery scapes” present in the cemetery.
As well, there was information on their ongoing projects such as a recent gravestone cleaning workshop taught by Kai Nalenz of Gravestone Services of New England. Vine Lake Preservation Trust has recently received a grant to hire an intern to do a condition survey and transcribe the stones in the old section of the cemetery. The intern, Jennifer Fromen, spoke about her project during the walk.
The tour touched on which years had the most burials and why. One of the years related to an intriguing epidemic that was only found similarly in Switzerland.
I also learned which of Medfield's founding fathers were buried in the cemetery. All around it was a good time. The weather also cooperated providing us with a pleasant breeze while we stood in the shade.
One memorial that was particularly impressive was the recently cleaned Kingsbury monument. The funds for the cleaning were donated by Beckwith P
ost 110 of the American Legion. The stone looks remarkable now that it has been restored to its original white color.
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Thanks for posting this, Marian. I keep thinking about putting together a cemetery walk here in Oklahoma City--I know not everyone shares my love of cemeteries, but the ones here are sooooooo fascinating and linked with this place's history.
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