Derry
Forest Hill Cemetery in need of a makeover
DERRY — A place of final rest is showing its age.
Forest Hill Cemetery in East Derry weathered the ice storm last December and some of the town's most historic gravestones bore the brunt of the storm's wrath, covered in brush, fallen tree limbs, and scattered twigs.
With graves dating back to the area's earliest settlers in the 1700s, the 35-acre Forest Hill means a lot to many people in the area, not only those with relatives and loved ones lying here, but others who work hard to preserve the cemetery's historical integrity and continued care.
The Friends of the Forest Hill Cemetery met recently to organize and discuss the historic burial ground, located in the historic East Derry district and on the National Register of Historic Places.
About 32 concerned residents gathered at First Parish Congregational Church to talk about the state of Forest Hill and how to help keep it looking its best.
Friends' member and organizer Dorothy Goldman said now that the weather is heading in the springlike direction, she hopes to continue her ritual of strolling the burial grounds and working to document and photograph the tombstones as part of a history research book she and town historian Richard Holmes hope to complete.
Others gathered to offer help with many other facets of the cemetery's life, including clean-up work, documentation of graves, fundraising, and various other jobs needing help.
"This cemetery is visited by people from all over the world," Goldman said. "I've met people from all over who come here checking for their family stones."
Last year before the snow flew, Goldman entertained groups of local Girls Scouts that came to Forest Hill to help with stone cleaning. Many stones are in disrepair from aging, neglect, or damage due to vandalism or weather.
Some stones are missing, some cracked in half, with various pieces strewn nearby. Some graves are not even visible to a visitor's eye, covered in the moss of time, or a pile of spindly twigs following December's storm.
Holmes said Forest Hill is one of the town's most historic and valuable gems, with the earliest settlers buried there along with war heroes, signers of the Declaration of Independence, and others that made their mark on the history of Derry.
"A lot of things can be done for that cemetery," Holmes said. "Everybody can do something."
Some of the projects discussed included refurbishing an antique flag pole standing in the more historic area of the graveyard with new paint and florals planted around the base. Members of the Derry Garden Club in attendance voiced interest in taking on some greenery projects at Forest Hill and the local Daughters of the American Revolution will donate a flag.
Volunteers area also needed to tackle more stone cleaning projects, general cleanup work, and help with cemetery documentation and archives.
"We need to get some stuff done," Holmes said. "It really is the pride of the town; the founder of the town is in there. And these are the people who shaped not only this town, but the nation. The longer we wait, the worse it is going to be."
Goldman hopes the Friends of the Forest Hill Cemetery will become a viable group with a lot of volunteers and ideas to help bring Forest Hill back to top shape. She hopes to host training sessions with experts on how to properly clean a stone, and keep video records for future sessions. She also hopes to continue her work to document and photograph each gravestone so there is a permanent record.
Goldman invites people to take a moment to stop by Forest Hill and witness the serene quiet beneath the trees, the calm, and the generations of history lying there.
She credited the town crews already taking on the cemetery cleanup, but added more help is always needed. She said once the weather got a bit warmer, she would be back at it with her camera to continue her stone documentation work.
"Get that temperature up to 60 degrees so we can get out there," she said.
How to help
To learn more about the Friends of Forest Hill and how to help, e-mail to forest_hill_cemetery07@yahoo.com.
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