Old North Cemetery

Old North Cemetery is a historic cemetery located in Hartford, Connecticut, near the Connecticut River and Trinity College. Established in 1807, it is the final resting place of many notable individuals, including Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Thomas Hooker. The cemetery is also close to the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art and the Connecticut State Capitol. Many of its residents have connections to Yale University, Harvard University, and the American Civil War.

● History

The history of Old North Cemetery dates back to the early 19th century, when it was established as a public burial ground for the city of Hartford, Connecticut. During the American Civil War, many soldiers from the 20th Connecticut Infantry Regiment and the 14th Connecticut Infantry Regiment were buried here, including Joseph Roswell Hawley, a United States Senator and Governor of Connecticut. The cemetery is also the final resting place of Katharine Hepburn, a renowned actress who won the Academy Award for Best Actress four times, and P.T. Barnum, the founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Other notable individuals buried here include Charles Dudley Warner, a writer and editor who co-authored The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today with Mark Twain, and Elizabeth Jarvis Colt, the wife of Samuel Colt, the inventor of the Colt revolver.

● Geography

Old North Cemetery is situated on a 20-acre site in the north end of Hartford, Connecticut, near the intersection of Main Street and Grove Street. The cemetery is bounded by the Park River to the north and the Connecticut River to the east, and is adjacent to the Trinity College campus. The terrain is generally flat, with some gentle slopes and a few small hills. Many of the graves are shaded by mature trees, including oak, maple, and elm species, which were planted by the Hartford City Council and the Connecticut Horticultural Society. The cemetery is also close to the Bushnell Park, a large public park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the famous landscape architect who also designed Central Park in New York City and the United States Capitol grounds in Washington, D.C..

● Notable_interments

Old North Cemetery is the final resting place of many notable individuals, including Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Thomas Hooker, the founder of Hartford, Connecticut. Other notable interments include Katharine Hepburn, P.T. Barnum, Charles Dudley Warner, and Elizabeth Jarvis Colt. The cemetery is also the burial site of several United States Senators, including Joseph Roswell Hawley and William Alfred Buckingham, as well as several Governors of Connecticut, including Thomas Holcomb and James L. Howard. Many of the individuals buried here have connections to Yale University, Harvard University, and the American Civil War, including William Tecumseh Sherman, Ulysses S. Grant, and Robert E. Lee. The cemetery is also close to the Webster Memorial, a monument dedicated to Daniel Webster, a renowned statesman and United States Senator from Massachusetts.

● Preservation_efforts

Old North Cemetery has undergone several preservation efforts over the years, including a major restoration project in the 1990s led by the Hartford City Council and the Connecticut Historic Preservation Society. The project included the repair and restoration of many of the cemetery's historic monuments and headstones, as well as the installation of new signage and landscaping. The cemetery is also protected by the National Register of Historic Places and is listed as a National Historic Landmark. Many organizations, including the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Sons of the American Revolution, have also contributed to the preservation of the cemetery. The Connecticut State Library and the Hartford Public Library also have extensive collections of records and documents related to the cemetery, including United States Census records and American Civil War pension records.

● Points_of_interest

Old North Cemetery contains many points of interest, including the Mark Twain Memorial, a monument dedicated to the famous author and humorist. The cemetery is also home to the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, a museum and historic house dedicated to the life and work of the renowned abolitionist and writer. The Thomas Hooker Memorial is another notable landmark, commemorating the founder of Hartford, Connecticut. The cemetery also features several historic mausoleums, including the Colt Mausoleum, which was built for Samuel Colt and his family. Many of the cemetery's monuments and headstones are also notable for their intricate carvings and sculptures, which were created by renowned artists and craftsmen, including Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French. The cemetery is also close to the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, which features a collection of American and European art, including works by John Trumbull and Gilbert Stuart. Category:Cemeteries in Connecticut