Historic Cemeteries Receive Restoration Help from CFOC

By DARLA M. YOUNGS
SPRINGFIELD

Back in March of this year, the Community Foundation of Otsego County announced that it was accepting applications for the Otsego County Cemetery Restoration Fund, to support preservation and historic renovation in small cemeteries. As of today, eight projects have been awarded and three more are in the pipeline, awaiting approval.

Executive Director Jeff Katz said in a recent e-mail that CFOC was contacted by an anonymous donor who “sought to support the preservation and historic quality of Otsego County cemeteries with small historic renovation projects.”

These awards—up to $5,000.00 to applicants with at least partial matching funds—are helping to ensure that Otsego County’s outdoor museums and the history of its towns remain accessible to all.

“The history of Otsego County can be told through the people in our cemeteries—people who had the vision to found towns and villages, establish long-standing businesses, and even fought a revolution,” Katz said. “What could be more visionary than that? These founders of Otsego County are all around us in our cemeteries, and improving those settings is important to county residents.”

More than 330 historic cemeteries have been identified here in Otsego County, according to data mapped by Otsego County Planning Department intern Brendan Ceccolini in 2015. According to Katz, projects have been approved by CFOC for eight cemeteries thus far: Harmony Cemetery, Morris; Lakewood Cemetery, Cooperstown; Huntley Cemetery, Plainfield; Exeter Cemetery, Exeter; Westville Cemetery, Westville; Milford Cemetery, Milford; Laurens Village Cemetery, Laurens; and Draper Hill Cemetery, Westford.