Graves of Elizabeth Wright and her 10-year-old son Calib
Saint Paul’s Church Cemetery is five acres in size and has roughly 9,000 graves, with the earliest dating back to 1704. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in the United States. If you take a Ranger-guided tour of the church, a tour of the cemetery is included. If you can’t make a tour, you can walk around the cemetery on your own. A brochure for a self-guided tour is available in the Visitor Center. This points out the graves worth seeing and tells a little about the person now residing six feet below. There are no famous people buried in the cemetery, but the personal stories are interesting none-the-less.
The oldest tombstone belongs to Richard Shute, though only the initials RS are on the stone. At the time, there were so few residents in Eastchester that initials were sufficient to identify a grave. The tombstone for Shute is now in the Visitor Center along with some other very early markers so that they won’t be stolen. The actual graves are marked with reproduction tombstones.
Grave of Richard Shute from 1704
During the Battle of Pell’s Point, Hessian troops—German mercenaries hired by the British to fight the Americans—used Saint Paul’s Church as a hospital. Those who died were buried in a sand pit that was being used to provide sand for the production of mortar, for the church was under construction when the war broke out. Years later when digging new graves, five Hessian bodies were discovered. A tombstone and plaque now mark the spot.
Marker for the mass grave of Hessian soldiers
There are some burial vaults in the cemetery as well. The Fowler Family has one, and if you take a look from the side, you can see that the vault extends above ground and is covered with grass.
Front of the Fowler Family crypt
Side view of the Fowler Family crypt
Trends in memorial markers can be observed at the cemetery due to the long span of years that burials took place. The earliest markers are simple fieldstones that are hand-etched with minimal text and no decorations.
Simple fieldstone marker from 1724
As the profession of tombstone carving developed during the mid-1700s, memorial markers became more professional looking and were engraved with symbols. If you attend a guided tour, the symbolism is discussed.
Grave of Ezebeth Clements from 1762
Grave of Samuel Pell from 1786
As styles changed, tombstones became more and more sophisticated until only a matter of money stood between a plain marker and an elaborate carving.
Elegantly carved markers for Eileen Lemay (1916) and Willet Ward (??)
Grave marker for Edward and Martha Gay from the late 1920s
Before the church became a National Park, people would often hang out in the cemetery at night while drinking. This resulted in some tombstones becoming detached, and now nobody knows the location of the graves. You will find these lying against the church wall.
Tombstones no longer associated with a grave
Depending on your interest in cemeteries, plan to spend anywhere from fifteen minutes to an hour exploring Saint Paul’s Church Cemetery.
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Last updated on May 31, 2020
