Graveyard

Graveyard
The Matthews Monument at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Another Look at the Zinc Tomb"stone"

Overfield Cemetery, Meshoppen, PA
 
As I travel around, visiting cemeteries in eastern Pennsylvania, I have found many zinc monuments, made by the Monumental Bronze Company of Bridgeport, CT.  Here is the link to the first blog I wrote about the company:  Heavy Metal Memories

This week, I'll show off some of my finds, especially ones that I've found in the little towns of Wayne, Susquehanna and Wyoming Counties.   Since many of the early settlers of these areas came from Connecticut around the time of the American Revolution, it stands to reason they may have kept in touch with family still residing in Connecticut throughout the 1800's.  And when the Monumental Bronze Company began selling their zinc cemetery markers in the late 19th-century, through salesmen living in different parts of the country...well, it's a hypothesis of mine that Pennsylvania salesmen were told about the opportunities to be realized selling these monuments from their relatives in the home state of the manufacturer.  Someday I will do the research to try to prove it.  But in the meantime, enjoy the Zincs...some of these are the earliest produced by Monumental Bronze.

Bed Tombstone, East Bangor Cemetery, East Bangor, PA

Bed Tombstone, Falls Cemetery, Falls Township, PA

Bed Tombstone, Union Dale Cemetery, Union Dale, PA


One of only Two Crosses I've Seen, Bristol Cemetery, Bristol, PA

Family Plot with Monument, Footstones on either side, and Four Ball-Shaped Plot Markers, Thompson Cemetery, Thompson, PA

Zinc Monument--probably purchased before 1912 (when the MBCo. stopped making them).  But the company continued to sell the metal plates that screwed on (note the death dates of 1929 & 1925), Overfield Cemetery, Meshoppen, PA

   The "vase" on top might really be an urn missing its top.  Scotch Presbyterian Burial Ground, Martin's Creek, PA

Aldenville Baptist Cemetery, Aldenville, PA

Bible on a Pulpit, Overfield Cemetery, Meshoppen, PA

Church Hill Cemetery, Martin's Creek, PA

Ephraim Leach Cemetery, Chinchilla, PA

Laurel Grove Cemetery, Port Jervis, NY

Laurel Grove Cemetery, Port Jervis, NY

Laurel Grove Cemetery, Port Jervis, NY

Lewis Cemetery, Dalton, PA

A recent storm felled the tree lying inches from this monument, Milford Cemetery, Milford, PA

Odd Fellows' Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA

Overfield Cemetery, Meshoppen, PA

Pittston Avenue Cemetery, Scranton, PA    This cemetery was for the German Presbyterian Church nearby, and the inscription on this monument is in German.

Prospect Hill Cemetery, Peckville, PA

Riverview Cemetery, Portland, PA

Stark Cemetery, Starkville, PA

Large Zinc Statue, Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA

Sunnyside Cemetery, Tunkhannock, PA

Tunkhannock Cemetery, Tunkhannock, PA

West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, PA

Bethany Presbyterian Cemetery, Bethany, PA
Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA


Lemon Cemetery, Lemon, PA

Overfield Cemetery, Meshoppen, PA

Union Cemetery, Blakely, PA

Lake Winola Cemetery, Lake Winola, PA

Bethany Presbyterian Church, Bethany, PA

Bethany Presbyterian Church, Bethany, PA

Bethany Presbyterian Church, Bethany, PA

Bethany Presbyterian Church, Bethany, PA

Bethany Presbyterian Church, Bethany, PA

Bethany Presbyterian Church, Bethany, PA

Clinton Center Baptist Cemetery, Clinton, PA

Dixon Cemetery, Tunkhannock, PA

Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA

Morrisville Cemetery, Morrisville, PA

Morrisville Cemetery, Morrisville, PA

Overfield Cemetery, Meshoppen, PA

One of the handful I've seen that have been painted silver.  Blech!  I am sure it's well-intentioned, but let your loved ones rest under the soft steel-blue-gray of the weathered zinc.  NO MORE SILVER!                            Union Cemetery, Blakely, PA

St. John's Union Cemetery, Nazareth, PA

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Great pictures!! I live in Susquehanna County near the Wyoming County line and visited the Lemon Cemetery this summer. While I was there, I noticed a particular grave marker that was different from any I'd ever seen before. I had forgotten about it until I clicked on a Pinterest pin that went to your blog and there was a photo of that marker I had seen months ago! Now I know why that marker is unique! Thanks for the great info!!