Union Cemetery: Year 2020 Preservation and Restoration

Located off Milbank Avenue at the intersection with Davis Avenue, Union Cemetery was originally called Burying Hill, and it was an old Mead family plot. 

One hundred and sixty-nine years ago on the 2nd day of November, 1851, Robert W. Mead deeded three adjoining acres of land he owned on the south and and east side of that cemetery. Since then, Union Cemetery has been under the management and control of the Second Congregational Church of Greenwich. 

Starting May 2, the church initiated a project to clean up, spruce up and restore Union Cemetery. 

The cemetery includes a number of Mead family plots representing various branches of the family. 

This is from Spencer P. Mead's record of tombstones in the Town of Greenwich dated October, 1908:

This cemetery was originally called BURYING HILL, and it was an old family plot. On the second day of November, 1851, Robert W. Mead, the owner of the adjoining land on the east and south of the old plot, deeded to the Second Congregational Society (now the Second Congregational Church) three acres of land, in trust nevertheless, as a burial ground and for no other purpose, to be under the charge and superintendence of a committee of three persons to be appointed by said society from among those of its members who are of the church.

Union Cemetery is quite popular with local residents, including a fair share of walkers. 

The gate to Elkanah Mead's graves site. He is the founder of the 

insurance company that bears his name. 

This image was captured in the first week of May, 2020. The cemetery features fine examples of tall specimen trees and flowering bushes, such as the azaleas pictured here. 

This image was captured in first week of November, 2020. It shows the area of the cemetery near the intersection of Milbank and Lincoln avenues at the traffic light. 

This image was captured in first week of November, 2020. It shows the area of the cemetery near the intersection of Milbank and Lincoln avenues at the traffic light. 

This is the scene in Union Cemetery on the north end closest to Davis Avenue facing south. Note the vivid red colors of the Japanese maple trees. This was captured in the first week of November, 2020. 

This is the gravestone of Hannah Mead. The stone lay buried under four inches of soil and sod for many years. Eventually it will be uprighted again. 

The Second Congregational Church of Greenwich, Connecticut -founded in 1705. The cemetery in the foreground is not Union Cemetery. It is known as the New Burial Grounds Association Cemetery, one of the first independent cemetery associations in Greenwich.