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Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Rest in Peace

Cemeteries are not just for the dead. Anyone who has ever walked through one knows that.

Many cemeteries offer a peaceful respite from the hectic pace of everyday life in park-like settings to folks not ready for that final destination (including Grenville and myself). Some final resting places include spectacular monuments to lives well lived or not — who's to judge?


We have often sought out cemeteries notable for their natural beauty or the scope of their monuments. That was the case when we spent a recent weekend in RI visiting family. We stayed at a B&B and during breakfast talk with other guests, we were told about River Bend Cemetery in Westerly RI, near where we were staying.


Of course, we had to make a side trip there on the way back to Nashua, NH. It was well worth the detour.


Incorporated in 1849, as Elm Grove Cemetery, the cemetery name was changed to River Bend due to its unique location on the eastern bank of the Pawcatuck River. It has
served as a final resting place for over 165 years with waterfront views on Route 1A, between downtown and the Westerly beaches.

Asher Babcock has a prime burial plot high on a mount overlooking the Pawcatuck River. I learned through online searches that he was a mechanic and inventor. He is credited with creating the pin wheel motion in plaid looms as well as a shoe peg machine and other mechanical applications that were widely adapted by the manufacturers of his time in the 1800s. He and several family members are buried in this high view.



More outstanding than this location are the memorials, many are granite works of art as granite is not uncommon in New England. The most spectacular memorials we've seen to date can be found in Hope Cemetery in Barre, VT, the city that calls itself the "Granite Capital of the World."  Should you ever want to see granite craftsmanship immortalized, do make a trip there, if you happen to be in New England.


A cemetery walk through can reveal a unique tale of the people and events interred there. War veterans from the Civil War, two World Wars, and up to the present. The monuments tell stories of untimely death, some due to wars, accidents, hurricanes and other calamities.


This cemetery abounds with magnificent granite carvings created by artists and their descendants, brought to the area to work in the granite industry. Some monuments are large and intricate; others are small and delicate.

Walking through a cemetery may not be everyone's idea of a "good time" but, for us, reading headstone inscriptions can often provide a glimpse of others lives. We have been humbled by many epitaphs. One thing that is never easy to see are headstones of so many children who died at such young ages in the 1700-1800s.

11 comments:

MadSnapper said...

this is a pretty awesome cemetery, all those gorgeous statues. wow.. and on the water to... i agree about the visits and the peacefulness. the older the cemtery the more there is to see.

Anvilcloud said...

New Englanders goo all out with their cemeteries. We are a little more grave hereabouts. Ahem.

Connie said...

In college, I would sometimes go to the local cemetery to sit under a tree and read because it was so peaceful there. So many unique statues and memorials. The stones do indeed tell many stories.

William Kendall said...

Beautiful memorials here!

Anonymous said...

Lots of nice statuary in that cemetery.
My father bought me 2 cemetery plots, and David and I plan to be buried there.

Michelle said...

I love cemeteries. You have some seriously gorgeous shots here!

diane b said...

Its sounds like you had an interesting time there. It sure is in a beautiful position and the headstones are magnificent carvings.

Lady Jane said...

Those are some serious statues. I agree that cemeteries are calming places to visit. Hugs, LJ

Emma Springfield said...

Walking through a cemetery is a fantastic experience. My son and I visited a local cemetery just two days ago. The variety of headstones and the changes that coincide with the times are interesting to pay attention to.

L. D. said...

It is amazing as to how well decorated the place is with all the great sculptures. It is a marvelous dedication of the people to remember their loved ones.

possum said...

I remember spending a day at a cemetery in Genoa Italy and being blown away with the statuary there. Visit it at:
http://www.google.com/search?q=cemetery+genoa+italy&nord=1&biw=1457&bih=731&site=webhp&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiIleuyw8DNAhVHPCYKHf20BM8QsAQINQ&dpr=1.25
or just type in cemetery genoa Italy - it is that famous.

But your place has a more beautiful location, IMHO. Sorry, Genoa.