What’s Happening in Evergreen Owego Cemetery?

By Peter Gordon, Town of Owego Historian —

In 1851, the original 11.5 Evergreen Cemetery acres and extensions, as surveyed by Stephen Dexter, were laid out in the “Rural” style. The National Register Bulletin (of the National Park Service) described the origins of the “Rural” Cemetery Movement as “… inspired by romantic perceptions of nature, art, national identity, and the melancholy theme of death.”

America’s rural cemeteries, of which Owego’s Evergreen is an archetypical example, were typically sited on elevated ground at the outskirts of a city.

In Owego’s Evergreen, the open park area, the lawn, fountain, and other “romantic” elements pleasing to visitors, picnickers, and strollers have been lost over the years, especially as the cemetery became crowded.

The Friends of Owego Evergreen are working to recreate the physical embodiment of the Rural Cemetery Ideal, creating a walking path in the forest along the ridge east of the SaSaNa Monument.

The Walk is designed as a gentle stroll in a natural setting, beneath a cathedral-like canopy of trees. A polished granite table at the beginning and settling stones to be located along the trail for rest and reflection are intended to encourage a vision of one’s ideal conception of the “halcyon days” of imagination, and Evergreen’s design as an idyll above a fast-growing village.

Historical markers will be installed for the curious, and to encourage pride of place, respect for our heritage, and a celebration of Evergreen’s open arms. Enjoy!