In my opinion…

One of a town’s most important functions is to preserve its history. Some towns do it better than others, and to be fair sometimes there is nothing a town can do when a historic building is slated for demolition to make way for progress.

The most a town can sometimes do is document what was there before modern development took place. Most important is recognizing the people who made the community what it is today, its founders and those who came before us.

The town of Brookfield through its Historical Society and the Historic Cemeteries of Brookfield Association has done a good job of documenting the people who once lived in this community. The names of these former residents are listed in The Cemeteries of Brookfield, Connecticut, a book compiled by former resident and town historian Marilyn Whittlesey and residents Carol Gurski and Jack Scully. To order this publication, contact The Brookfield Museum & Historical Society, PO Box 5231, Brookfield, CT 06804-5231 or by calling 203-740-8140. The historical society may also be e-mailed at www.brookfieldcthistory.org.

The Historic Cemeteries of Brookfield Association, of which I am president, is a volunteer group that functions under the auspices of the Brookfield Museum & Historical Society. It was formed when it became obvious that the old historical cemeteries that had no caretakers needed someone to watch over them and preserve them for the future.

Our group is very thankful for the help given it by town residents Bobby Fisher and his son, Frank Fisher, who are superintendent and assistant superintendent respectively of the Laurel Hill Cemetery. They recently volunteered their efforts to restore to an upright position a tombstone that had toppled in the Brookfield section of Gallow’s Hill Cemetery.

The Historic Cemeteries of Brookfield Association needs help from other members of the community who are interested in preserving a part of the town’s heritage. We are currently seeking new members as well as volunteers who would like to get outside in the spring and fall and help with cleanup in the historic cemeteries. Volunteers who might have expertise in repairing broken tombstones are also sought as it is very expensive to repair headstones.

To volunteer, contact me at 203-775-1030 or at jan@familyancestry.net.