Mansfield Center Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Mansfield Center Cemetery is a small cemetery
in the Mansfield Center
section of Mansfield, Connecticut
, that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1992. It includes some 300 to 400 headstone
s.
The site was set aside for use as a cemetery as early as 1693 and it remained in general use for that purpose until the 1870s. The cemetery's 18th-century gravestones, decorated with cherubim, geometric designs, and a variety of funerary symbols, are considered to be illustrative of the rich artistic tradition of funerary stone carving
in colonial New England
.
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
in the Mansfield Center
Mansfield Center, Connecticut
Mansfield Center is a census-designated place within the town of Mansfield in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 973 at the 2000 census. The CDP includes the town center of Mansfield also sometimes known as Mansfield Village.-Geography:According to the United States...
section of Mansfield, Connecticut
Mansfield, Connecticut
Mansfield is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,720 at the 2000 census.Mansfield was incorporated in October 1702 from the Town of Windham, in Hartford County. When Windham County was formed on 12 May 1726, Mansfield then became part of that county...
, that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1992. It includes some 300 to 400 headstone
Headstone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. In most cases they have the deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death inscribed on them, along with a personal message, or prayer.- Use :...
s.
The site was set aside for use as a cemetery as early as 1693 and it remained in general use for that purpose until the 1870s. The cemetery's 18th-century gravestones, decorated with cherubim, geometric designs, and a variety of funerary symbols, are considered to be illustrative of the rich artistic tradition of funerary stone carving
Stone carving
Stone carving is an ancient activity where pieces of rough natural stone are shaped by the controlled removal of stone. Owing to the permanence of the material, evidence can be found that even the earliest societies indulged in some form of stone work....
in colonial New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
.