Adopt A Historic Cemetery

History of Local Cemeteries

17th and 18th century cemeteries are nestled in wooded areas among residential neighborhoods in the Township of Middletown. The fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters interred in these cemeteries are the earliest settlers of our town, and many of our streets are named for their families.

The cemeteries resided on land owned by someone in a family. For example, around 1684, John Throckmorton Sr. from Providence, Rhode Island, visited his 2 sons and daughter in Middletown. He died while he was here, and his family buried him behind John Junior’s house on Kings Highway. Thus, the Throckmorton- Lippit- Taylor Burying Ground was established and used by several families throughout the 17th and 18th centuries.

Ownership & Maintenance

The Township of Middletown owns some of these cemeteries, and the others have been abandoned by their owners many years ago. Middletown, churches, and Monmouth County maintain some of these cemeteries, but those that are not maintained are overgrown with weeds, fallen branches, and briars. Some of the headstones have fallen down and the footstones are disappearing into the ground.

Boy Scout Eagle projects have restored some of these cemeteries in recent years. The boys and their families and friends have taken pride in the work they performed, and they have all received much satisfaction as a result of their labor. Some of these projects can be seen in the following cemeteries:

• Applegate Burial Ground in Leonardo
• Drummer Boy/Herbert Cottrell on Old Country Road
• Hartshorne Cemetery on Kings Highway
• Throckmorton-Lippit- Taylor Burying Ground on Penelope Lane

Work Needed

These historic cemeteries are a part of our American heritage, and their restoration and maintenance would be a wonderful project for a group or individuals. The work needed is cleaning out the brush and fallen branches, and if possible, erecting the fallen headstones and resetting the footstones in the ground.

If you are interested in restoring one of the historic cemeteries in Middletown, please contact Suzanne Bugbee, Landmarks Commissioner at home at 732-671-1083. You must talk to the Landmarks Commission before you do any work. 

Abandoned Cemeteries

The following list provides the locations and names of the “abandoned” cemeteries/burial grounds in need of attention.