Grove Church Cemetery

Grove Church Cemetery
Grove Church Cemetery
	Kennedy Boulevard
Details
Established	1847
Location	North Bergen, New Jersey
Country	United States
Coordinates	40°46′59″N 74°01′34″W / 40.7831566°N 74.0259734°W
Type	Nonsectarian
Owned by	Reformed Grove Church
Size	8 acres (3.2 ha)
Website	www.grovereformedchurch.org
Find a Grave	Grove Church Cemetery

The Grove Church Cemetery is a

Hudson Palisades, along with several other cemeteries in a string of green open space, in Hudson County, New Jersey,^[2]

United States. The Grove Church, who owns the cemetery, is one of the oldest religious bodies in the area, and it has had an operating cemetery since 1847. Throughout its history, prominent families have been buried there, as well as American Civil war veterans. There have also been reports of vandalism and misuse of the property since the 19th century, and in 2007 some of the cemetery grounds were occupied by the homeless.

Location

Grove Church Cemetery is located at 1132 46th Street in

Hudson Bergen Light Rail in Union City, New Jersey

.

History

Located in then both

ground water flows into the surrounding marshes in Secaucus, and contamination of wells, springs, and water-courses in the surrounding area is very low.^[6] Other than having a relatively large congregation, many of the church members were of wealth, and owned plots and vaults in the cemetery.^[4]

In the year 1890, Edwin B. Young, a descendant of

New York Sun that grave robbers had broken into various vaults at Grove Church. The Gardner vault had been found opened, which required the vandal to smash locks as well as break the iron railing, which was believed to be achieved by the use of hammers and chisels stolen from on adjoined marble yard. Robert Gardner's metallic coffin was found opened, removed from the shelf upon which it sat. The investigation, led by Superintendent Young, left those involved unsure of why the perpetrators would have broken in, and with no apparent objective or reason, they concluded that it may have been done simply to desecrate the resting place of the dead.^[4] Young held that position of superintendent until 1899, for the pursuit of real estate.^[11]

It is owned and maintained by the Reformed Grove Church, and is still active and well kept,[2] and the offices are located on the cemetery grounds. There are 31 American Civil War veteran graves at Grove Church Cemetery.^[12]

Use by the homeless

Called "a cemetery for the living",

homeless people were squatting in the Grove Church Cemetery. An investigation had been brought on by a sexual assault of a woman, who was near the Bergenline Avenue Station of the Hudson Bergen Light Rail, and by knife-point was brought into the cemetery and assaulted.^[14] Upon searching the grounds, police found remnants of living activity, namely mattresses, pillows, and blankets, as well as garbage strewn across the lawn.^[15] Also, small shacks had been built along the perimeter. To the dismay of neighbors, who had complained about the noise and feeling unsafe, there was not much that the police could do to remove the people off of the premises; there is no law against loitering in public places. One victim, however, claimed that there were bronze urns stolen from his relative's tomb.^[13] In addition, the Reformed Grove Church had been supporting the homeless by providing them with meals, as it is within their rights and devotion to charity that they will not turn away anyone seeking help.^[14]

The homeless, who were by majority South and Central American males, said that they came into the area from their respective countries in promise of work. A particular individual who was interviewed said that the work he was told about had only been short term and, along with many of the others, had nowhere else to go.

homeless shelters express their hesitation to leave the Grove Church Cemetery grounds, fearful that they would lose the freedom they had on the public property. Measures were taken to remove and clean up the cemetery, and it is believed that while some may have entered into shelters, others likely still reside in the general area, while some had moved into the wooded eastern side of the Palisades hills in Union City,^[15]

where many shacks can be seen supporting the homeless.

Notable burials

James Buttersworth (1817–1894), English painter who specialized in maritime art^[16]

William Hexamer (1825–1870), American Civil War major
Yanghwajin Foreigners' Cemetery

References

^ ^a ^b Brooklyn Fairchild Sons, p. 63.
^ ^a ^b "Grove Church Cemetery Hudson County, New Jersey". Interment.net: Cemetery Records Online. Clear Digital Media, Inc. 1997–2010. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Winfield, p. 388.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f United States Cremation Company, et al., p. 8.
^ Inskeep, p. 228.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e National Board of Health, p. 202.
^ Hagstrom Map, Hudson County.
^ Leonard, p. 40.
^ Wilson, et al, p. 42
^ State Dept. of Health, p. 234.
^ ^a ^b Harvey, p. 135.
^ "Grove Church Cemetery – North Bergen". New Jersey Civil War Gravestones. 2003–2010. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
^ ^a ^b Loboguerrero, Cristina (September 3, 2007). "A cemetery for the living". Voices that must be heard. New York Community Media Alliance. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
^
Hudson Reporter
. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
^
Hudson Reporter
. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
^ Grassby, p. 10.