Huntington is working with the town's historical society to restore old cemeteries
As we approach America's 250th anniversary, the city of Huntington and the rest of the country are looking to the past.
The City Council recently approved a partnership with the Huntington Historical Society as part of a program to restore 53 historic cemeteries where the city's early settlers are interred. According to Huntington Historian Robert Hughes, city officials prefer to partner with nonprofit organizations because it is easier for such organizations to obtain grants.
"There are some grant agencies that will give money to a nonprofit organization but not to a municipality," Hughes said.
Next fall, the historical society will be applying to various foundations for preservation grants. Hughes said the grants are usually around $10,000.
Stephanie Gothard, executive director of the Huntington Historical Society, said the partnership is an easy way to support the town while benefiting important local historic sites.
"This is an opportunity to make sure the cemeteries are in the best condition possible and to show that our community respects these sacred places and does everything possible ... to keep them preserved," Gothard said.
Hughes said participation in the program, created in 2011 to have volunteers be the eyes and ears of the city's cemeteries, has been declining in recent years.
A bonus of partnering with a nonprofit organization is that the caretakers, who are volunteers with the historical society, will readily take on tasks such as repairing and restoring broken and fallen stones.
Local towns are responsible for maintaining cemeteries that are no longer used for public burials and do not have a caretaker. According to Hughes, this includes cutting the grass twice a year and installing fencing.
"The city is responsible for cemetery maintenance, and with a limited budget, you need all the help you can get," Hughes says. "Grant funding really helps do more than just annual seasonal maintenance."
While grant applications will be submitted for most historic cemeteries, due to America's upcoming half-century anniversary, priority will be given to allocating funds to the town's oldest cemetery, the Old Burial Ground on Main Street. Established in the mid-seventeenth century, the cemetery holds the graves of 67 Revolutionary War veterans.
On a recent afternoon at the Old Burying Ground, Hughes was joined by Greenlawn resident Wayne Haddock, a member of the Long Island chapter of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, a nonprofit organization that promotes patriotism.
In preparation for America's big birthday celebration in 2026, the group will be visiting historic cemeteries throughout Long Island, installing plaques informing them that Revolutionary War veterans are buried there and providing names where possible.
Haddock is responsible for 19 plots in Huntington. "Some of the older cemeteries have been vandalized and damaged over the years, and it would be wonderful to restore them," he said.
Don't despair if you are not a member of the historical society," Gothard says. There will be opportunities for you to help.
"There will be cleanups and they can always donate," Gothard said.
The Town of Huntington and the Huntington Historical Society have partnered to develop a program to care for historic cemeteries that will also qualify for grants.