Letters to the Editor: Historic Preservation (1990)

August 27, 1990
Greenwich Time, Greenwich, Connecticut

To the editor:

I write today to express my thanks to you and the editorial board of Greenwich Time for your piece, "Protecting our cemeteries" (Saturday, July 28, 1990). Those of us who over the years have concerned ourselves with the preservation of these unique historic sites are grateful for the stand you have taken in light of recent events at Tomac Cemetery, the oldest existing burying ground in Greenwich and where many of my earliest ancestors are buried.

I take this opportunity to call upon the people of the town to involve themselves directly in the preservation of these sites. The Historical Society, after all, was founded after a clean-up of Tomac Cemetery over a half century ago. The Historical Society has sponsored and worked with other civic groups to clean up periodically as many of these neglected sites as possible. I ask that those who are interested may contact me in order to facilitate a series of cleanups for the autumn season. All hands are welcomed.

I also urge our citizens to visit these quiet, mysterious sites. Here a visitor can muse over the inscriptions, examine the motifs and designs, ponder the lessons of the epitaphs and learn about the emotions, hopes and sentiments of our forebears and the times they lived in.

Again, many thanks to Greenwich Time!

Jeffrey Bingham Mead
Chairman, Historic Burying Grounds Committee
The Historical Society
of the Town of Greenwich