Sag Harbor’s Old Burying Ground: Our Story Begins There!

I have spent some time in the Old Burying Ground in Sag Harbor- the resting place for many of our early settlers. Recently there has been a restoration there of the graves of the patriots and veterans of the American Revolutionary War. Atop a hill near the Old Whalers Church the Old Burying Ground looks over the village of Sag Harbor-the sun shines brightly there and the sea breezes drift through the trees. The wind is not often obstructed by humans; this is a lonely place.

The Old Burying Ground was established as Sag Harbor’s first public resting place and it’s first resident was said to be the infant son of the Howells. It is recorded that his mother cried for days because the Burying Ground was so far off in the woods where her son rested all alone. Each gravestone tells a story of a life lived-and though the years have worn many of the inscriptions and epitaphs- hopes and dreams and amazing stories remain buried on that hill. 

In 1767 the average life expectancy was 36 years of age. One third of the souls resting in the Old Burying Ground are said to be under the age of 18. Life had to be so hard-folks were faced with so much sadness and loss. Old age must have been elusive-watching your kids grow to adulthood a beseeching prayer. 

A three-day journey in a horse and carriage would bring you to Sag Harbor from Brooklyn. A Native American Indian guide was often hired for the last leg of your journey to lead you through the dark and dense forest from Southampton to Sag Harbor. Later toll roads were set up on the Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike and 114- and you had to pay for each bit of livestock that you and your horse steered into town. 

Whale oil burned in lamps in living rooms, serious fires burned along Main Street and the waterfront, bucket brigades fought to preserve remaining buildings. Battles were fought here, whaling ships filled the harbor, land was cleared, homes were built, an arduous life settled into the bones of early settlers.

The human spirit has endured-great minds have explored medicine, nutrition, preservation and average life expectancies have soared to eighty. It seems that many of us have grown accustomed to the idea of living into our 80’s, 90’s and beyond. We have grown to rely on all of our modern conveniences, modern medicine, modern science. 

Cemeteries like the Old Burying Ground can be inspirational places to look for signs of life-the life that lives within us. What stories will we leave behind? What have we stood for? Which changes have we encouraged and which have we discouraged? Who and what have we worked to protect? Right now, in this very moment, we are each writing our own history-how will your story be told?