i 62 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
of Chapel. It also had a church yard in connection 
with its parish church, but no record appears how long 
and to what extent it was used. The following vote 
passed by its vestry in 1785 establishes this statement 
where it was voted: 
That there be no further burials under the body of 
the church except those families, some members of 
MEMORIALS TO LYMAN BEECHER AND NOAH PORTER. 
which have already been buried, by which is understood 
the heads of families and their children, only excepting 
any person leaving a legacy of thirty pounds, and par- 
ticularly desiring that liberty.” 
In 1792 its vestry appointed “a committe to confer 
with the committee of the other societies in relation to 
putting a fence around the old burying ground on the 
Green,” and I think it safe to suggest that no interments 
were mads after that period in their Church street 
property. 
In the year 1818 the property was sold and the old 
building was to be pulled down, or removed, and prob- 
ably at that time all remains were then transferred to 
the Grove street cemetery. 
In .September, 1796, the Hon. James Hillhouse, with 
the aid of thirty-one other citizens, purchased a field 
of six acres of ground, with a view to obtain a burial 
place, in the words of the record, “larger and better 
arranged for the accommodation of families, and by its 
retired situation better calculated to impress the mind 
with a solemnity becoming the repository of the dead.” 
I lei etofore interments had been made in rows indiscrim- 
inately, regardless of families, on the principle of “first 
come first served.” 
In 1797 a charter of incorporat'on was obtained 
from the general assembly of the state of Connecticut, 
under the corporate name of “The Proprietors of the 
New burial ground in New Haven,” but in after years 
the corporate name was changed to “The Proprietors of 
the New Haven City Burial Ground,” as it stands to-day. 
The provisions of its charter authorize the corpor- 
ation to elect one member of its number, the City of 
New Haven to select another, and the third to be the 
clerk, ex-oificio, as “I s standing committee,” who have 
the charge of its funds and the whole care of the grounds, 
and to so continue in office until their successors are 
elected. 
To me this is a ''ery interesting coincidence, cover- 
ing as it does just the period of a century, and during all 
that period there have been only five clerks, the speaker 
being chosen to that office at its close. Our predeces- 
sors all did well their part; may our successors be able 
to say the same of our administration. 
In the planning and laying out of the grounds, the 
corporation gratuitously gave each religious denomin- 
ation and its clergyman a burial plot, also gave one to 
the president and fellows of Yale college. It also set 
apart about an acre of land to be used as a potters’ field, 
a place of burial for strangers and for people of color, 
there being quite a goodly number of the latter at that 
time, and you may be surprised to know that here in 
old Connecticut some were slaves. 
From time to time additions of land were made, so 
that the present area is now eighteen acres. Family 
plots were laid out, 18x30 feet, and sold from four to ten 
dollars each. This comporation never was a money- 
making affair, but was laid out pure and simple as a fam- 
ily burial place. 
In the year 1821 the monuments and stones of the 
old burial ground were transferred to Grove street 
cemetery, and a public service commemorating the act 
was held, July 20th, of that year in the Center church, 
before a great concourse assembled. Owners of burial 
plots then placed their family memorial stones in their 
respective plots; the remainder are arranged alphabe- 
tically around its northern and western walls. 
The interest which our citizens took in this enterprise 
never flagged, and the amount of money raised was com- 
mensurate with the times. The year 1841 witnessed 
the completion of an eight foot stone wall, with towers, 
erected on three sides, at an expense of $ 1 1,000; an iron 
palisade fence on the front at a cost of $3,500. In the 
year 1845 an Egyptian gateway, costing $5,000. was 
erected, thus consummating the entire work, the corner 
MEMORIALS TO PROFESSORS LOOMIS, TWINING AND HADLEY. 
Stone of which was laid with appropriate ceremonies in 
July of that year. 
In 1870, by a special act of the general assembly of 
the state, the proprietors were empowered to contract 
with the owners of burial plots for their perpetual care, 
and herewith we beg leave to submit such form as the 
