Old Episcopal Burying Ground by Barr, Frances Keller Swinford; Birchfield, James D - 2002

Heritage Books Inc.. New. 2002. Paperback. 126 pages. Lexington, Kentucky. This book has been written out of an appreciation of history and a wish to preserve for posterity the names of those persons who are, or at one time were, buried in the Old Episcopal Burying Ground in Lexington, Kentucky. Over the years, some 600 burials took place and many of the stones are still there. This is the oldest cemetery still extant in Lexington, and has long been known as Lexington’s Westminster Abbey because of the prominence of those buried there. Genealogists and historians alike will want to add this well-written book to their library. A brief history of the cemetery, complete with some notable epitaphs, precedes the burial records which are arranged alphabetically by surname, and include birth and death dates, burial notes, comments and source. An essay discussing the cottage in the Old Episcopal Burial Ground and an essay on a collection of early Lexington funeral invitations by Dr. James D. Birchfield follow the records. Four engaging vignettes of Lexington life in the 1830s by Carole Thomas Pettit are based on real people, although their thoughts and motives are conjecture. These fascinating vignettes take the reader to 1833 to witness the cholera epidemic through the eyes of a bricklayer; on a railway journey with a discussion of its impact on the community; to social gatherings at Fowler’s Gardens; and the final vignette offers a glimpse of the life of artist, John Grimes. Several illustrations and a fullname index augment this work. .