If these stones could talk

Shelburne’s early history lives in the cemeteries of the town, in the names and stories of the early settlers, and the stories of the local and itinerant stone workers who carved the monuments and engraved the words on them.

Members of Shelburne Historical Society have been documenting those stories and researching the history the tombstones tell. On Saturday, Oct. 25 they will lead two tours of the Village Cemetery, between Shelburne United Methodist Church and St. Catherine’s Catholic Church, to share these fascinating stories with the community.

Dorothea Penar, David Webster, and Judy Frazer will lead tours at 11am and 1pm beginning at the cemetery gate. If the weather does not cooperate, the tours will be rescheduled to Saturday, Nov. 1. To register for the free tours, go to the Historical Society email at shelburne1763@gmail.com.

This is a chance to meet some of the famous and not-so-famous people who built our town: the Piersons, Maecks, Harringtons, and Holabirds, and to hear about their place in history.

But why stop at a tour? To learn more about the three cemeteries of Shelburne, everyone is invited to a preview event at Shelburne Town Hall on Friday, Oct. 24 at 7pm. The researchers/tour guides and other members of the Historical Society will be there to share stories, pictures, and maps that delve into this important part of the story of our community. Judy Frazer and Dorothea Penar have assembled a great exhibit of photographs to document the the Village Cemetery, the West Cemetery, and the Spear Street Cemetery, and will be there to share what they found.

There will be refreshments and a chance to sign up to become a member of the newly rejuvenated Historical Society and support its valuable work.