FAIRVIEW CEMETERY

Formerly Known as Rural Grove Cemetery

Town of Salisbury
Herkimer County, NY

This listing was donated by John Alvord Kingsley and Elaine Carlin, Salisbury Town Clerk, and was typed for the Herkimer/Montgomery Counties NYGenWeb by Marilyn Allis. The reading and full report were made by Richard S. Jorrey.

Later, a notice of a Special Cemetery Meeting was posted on June 9, 1928, listing the names of L. E. Tanner, H. D. Heller and H. J. Kingsley as lot owners in the burial grounds in the Town of Salisbury, known as the Rural Grove Cemetery or Burial Ground. The purpose of the meeting was to determine upon the proposition of incorporating said Cemetery under provisions of Article 4 of Membership Corporation Laws of State of New York. Copies of the Notice of Special Meeting were posted in the following conspicuous places; Clayton Luther store, George C. Miller store, Jones & Lyons store, Post Office, Barber Shop and on the board of the Town Clerk. The Rurul Grove Cemetery Association formed a cemetery corporation and filed papers on July 6, 1928, proposing the name of Corporation as Fairview Cemetery Association, which was approved by Justice of the Supreme Court William F. Dowling, July 21, 1928. Trustees appointed were as follows:

The original cemetery size was 118 feet by 268 feet. The cemetery was enlarged by the purchase of 65 feet by 118 feet of land from the Smith family in the year 1859. The third acquisition of land 71 1/2 feet by 332 feet was purchased from William and Ruth Carey in the year 1868. It was noted that the second purchase of land was described as West 65 feet back of cemetery extended from the grave of Alva Hopson, E. W. Smith and Bliss [Information received from Doug Harper, Herkimer County Tax Map Dept.].

The Fairview Cemetery as it is known today (1996) is located on the Fairview Town Road just beyond the Town of Salisbury's only remaining Covered Bridge which was built by Alvah Hopson. The cemetery is only a short distance from the center of the hamlet of Salisbury Center and includes the burial ground of this Covered Bridge builder.

Harry J. Kingsley, Treasurer of the Fairview Cemetery, Inc. sent a request on February 13, 1952 to the Dept. of Law, State of New York asking for information on dissolving of the Cemetery Corporation. The reasons given for abandoning of this cemetery were as follows: President died about a week ago who was 83 yrs. old, the Secretary is 93 yrs. old and the Treasurer is nearing his 67th birthday. Directors are 77, 75, and 73, none capable of acting if there were any problems to act upon. There has not been a burial in this cemetery in a number of years and no work done. The bank balance is only $67.21.

A letter was received from the Department of State, Division of Cemeteries on February 18, 1952 outlining the steps for dissolving the Corporation and turning property over to the Town of Salisbury. The Town Board of Salisbury accepted this property and the responsibilities of an abandoned cemetery. The balance of $67.21 in the cemetery's checking account at the First National Bank of Dolgeville was turned over to John Houck, Supervisor on July 31, 1952.

They are to do a minimal amount of maintenance each year. Under Town Law abandoned burial grounds become the duty of the Town to remove the grass and weeds from such cemetery or burial ground at least three times in each year, and to erect and maintain suitable fences around such cemetery. Over the years there has been much damage done by vandalization. Of the 350-400 monuments in the cemetery the repair of stones was in excess of 175.

Under the leadership of the Salisbury Center Grange #624, the idea for a community service project was initiated in 1995, to restore and preserve one of the landmarks in the Town of Salisbury, namely the Fairview Cemetery in Salisbury Center. In the year 1996 a grant was received through the combined efforts of the Grange and Richard Jorrey, Supervisor of the Town of Salisbury, and William Sears, NYS Senator, 47th District from the Natural Heritage Trust in the amount of $6,000 to cover repair of broken and damaged tombstones, cleaning of tombstones, repairing iron fenes, replacing the fence in front of cemtery and leveling of burial lots. The Salisbury Center Grange #624, with the labors of Master William Herringshaw, Martha Herringshaw, his wife, Overseer Richard Jorrey, and assistance provided by Bruce Windecker of Fairfield, a craftsman in cemetery repair work, and help from the Salisbury Highway Department, completed all work by November 1, 1996.

Painting of cast iron fences around some burial lots was done, a new fence was erected at the front of the cemetery, chain was installed at the gate, stones were cleaned, burial stones and foundations were repaired, brush and overgrowth were cut down, and a new sign was erected. The sign at the entrance to the Fairview Cemetery notes the location as Salisbury Center, NY, and notes it was established prior to 1833. The visiting hours are listed on the sign as Dawn to Dusk with a special request that people please respect his final resting place.

Original cemetery was designed so that all monuments and printing would face westward even though the front entrance to the cemetery faces the east. There were many burials in the Fairview Cemetery during the Civil War years. This was probably due to the hardships during this time period.

Some of the early burials during the years 1833-1849 involved these families:Avery, Beacraft, Bliss, Bowen, Congdon, Fenton, Hopson, Munger, Northrup, Shead(Shedd), Smith, Stoddard, Talcott & Thrall.

We wish to thank all those who contributed to the successful completion of this restoration project at the Fairview Cemetery in the year 1996.

Information compiled in 1996 by Richard S. Jorrey, a life long resident of the area, a former Town of Salisbury Supervisor, member of the Herkimer County Legistature and the Salisbury Center Grange #624.

Fairview Cemetery Part 1: Surnames A - L

Fairview Cemetery Part 2: Surnames M - Z

Fairview Cemetery Photos

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