Photographing a Cemetery

Benjamin Burrows Cemetery Gate
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Burrows Cemetery Transcription Project

The Burrows family of Groton, CT set aside land for this small family burying plot about 1822, according to the records put online by the town of Groton, CT.

Known widely as Benjamin Burrows #3 Cemetery, it seems that the town has adopted an official name of South Burrows Cemetery and given the number as cemetery a number of 11.

You can see right away why people have trouble finding small cemeteries, especially if they are traveling a distance to locate them!

The first step to finding a cemetery is to see if the city or town has a listing online or in the town hall. There may not be a listing for the cemetery but most cities and towns do have a Web site with an email address or a phone number. This Web site for Groton lists the cemeteries under town history!

Next, a visit to Find A Grave is important. In the past few years, many cemeteries have been listed, even if no one has taken photographs. Fairly recently, a map of the area with the cemetery is pinpointed and there is an approximate GPS listing of the latitude and longitude of the location.

Here is the Find a Grave listing, Burrows #3 in Groton, New London County, CT. Notice there are some wide shots of the cemetery but only 17 listed graves as opposed to 30 listed by the town. (Don't go by that number as I discovered three graves listed there are really in another cemetery up the street!)

All of these facts need to be typed up and put in a file folder (or as a notes in your cellphone or iPod/iPhone). Plan to keep a list at home and one when you travel in your car.

Google Maps may be of some use for cemeteries that are not covered by vegetation or lots of trees. I did use Google Maps to look at names of side streets after finding out that Route 1 is called New London Road. Google Maps link to this cemetery.

As you locate the cemetery (and get excited about finding it), you need to write down some notes in your file about the location and perhaps a nearby house number so you can find it again.

See the water tower in the Google Maps sky-eye view? I wrote that down and the fact that there is not anywhere visible to park. We located a small inlet a bit up on the busy road and parked there.