Center Street Cemetery, Wallingford, CT

Last August I was fortunate enough to have a chance to visit Wallingford Connecticut. It's a small town not far outside of New Haven Connecticut. Ancestors of mine (plus others) that lived in New Haven ventured out a little North-ish and founded Wallingford near the Qunnipiac River. The name Wallingford came from a town of the same name in England. The town was incorporated in 1670 and the Center Street Cemetery was established in 1683.


I read some newspaper articles just now (first one, second one) that later in the same month that I was there some vandals toppled and broke some stones as old as 200 years old. The town believes they have successfully repaired them though, and celebrated the 325 year-annivesary of the cemetery by dressing up as famous people who are interred there. I wish I could have seen that!

My direct ancestors who were part of the founding of Wallingford were Daniel and Ruth (Rockwell) Mix. Unfortunately I couldn't locate their headstones in the cemetery - some of the really old one's are long gone or completely illegible. I was also shaking my fist at the beautiful blue sky and sun we had that day because it was in the exact wrong place for my photos of gravestones to show up nicely. Oh well!!! Such is life.

There was a handy-dandy listing of the oldest or most famous people who were buried there:



I kind of like the style of the older grave markers you see. You'd see hearts and skulls and winged moons(?) suns(?) and sometimes foreboding quotes at the bottom like: "Prepare for Death & Follow Me".

gosh.

Here's a couple pics to give you the flavor: