Endymion's Repose

Mountain Grove Cemetery

According to Greek mythology, Endymion founded the city of Elis and was considered one of the handsomest creatures on earth. Zeus allowed Endymion to choose anything he desired, and Endymion chose to sleep forever, remaining ageless and immortal.

I created Endymion's Repose as a way to share my fascination with some of our old local cemeteries. They abound with history, art, nature, and beauty. Each cemetery's page has photos of the cemetery, pictures and inscriptions of artistically or historically noteworthy monuments, and anecdotes of any famous interments.

I welcome all comments, but first, a disclaimer: I meant no disrespect in taking and posting these photos. They are all originals and were obtained ethically and with the utmost reverence. All photos copyright by the author, 2008-2012. Not to be used or reproduced without permission. If there is a particular photo you are interested in, please contact me.

Adopt-A-Grave in one of Easton's cememteries: Center Street, Den, Lyon, and/or Gilbertown. Help to preserve history.

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Old Burying Ground

Obtained more photos at the Old Burying Ground (Fairfield),

including the grave of John Hancock's aunt, Lydia Henchman Hancock.

Parrott monument, detail

Included a few new pictures to Mountain Grove (Bridgeport), page 2.

This is where the wealthy and locally famous

were buried in the 1800s and early twentieth century.

Bradley Cemetery gate

Bradley Cemetery in Newtown, Connecticut, has been added to Endymion's.

This is a small family burying ground, with the majority of interments

dating from the 1820s through the early 1900s.

stone detail, 1700s

Let your cursor hover over the towns to view the drop-down menus. Then click on the cemetery name, not the name of the town.

Union Cemetery

Highlights include:

Birdsey's Plain/Stepney Cemetery, Monroe: boasts the final resting place of paranormal expert, Ed Warren.
Den (Den Road) Cemetery, Easton: Easton's first integrated cemetery, dating from the 1820s. Small burial ground on private property, accessible only by permit (which is available to restricted personnel).
Greenfield Hill Cemetery, Fairfield: contains more Revolutionary War veterans than any other cemetery in the country. It is also the resting place of veterans of the French & Indian War, Civil War and War of 1812.
Gregory Four Corners, Trumbull: where the Monroe "witch," Hannah Cranna Hovey, is interred. Page includes some interesting photos taken Halloween night (2010).
Long Hill Burial Ground, Shelton: resting place of the Honorable Henry Shelton Sanford (detail, above). He founded the town of Sanford, Florida, and in 1878, he convinced famous adventurer Henry Morton Stanley to explore the African Congo for Belgium's King Leopold II. Sanford later became one of the founders of the Congo Free State.
Milford Cemetery, Milford: the oldest burial ground I've documented, established in 1647. It is also the resting place of three Connecticut governors.
Mountain Grove, Bridgeport: you'll find at least twenty famous and/or notable personages, including P.T. Barnum, Tom Thumb, country music pioneer Vernon Dalhart, lyricist Fanny Crosby and Major League baseball player Neal Ball. Mountain Grove also boasts some of the most astounding monuments in Fairfield County. This amazing cemetery has two pages dedicated to it.
Riverside Cemetery, Shelton: features the impressive memorial of Colonel Watson J. Miller, a 32nd-degree Mason. (Thirty-three is the highest level attainable within the Masons.) Includes a statue of the colonel, mausoleum, and stairs flanked by two sphinxes.
Riverside Cemetery, Trumbull: where Nero Hawley, a slave freed in recognition of his service in the Revolution, is buried. Hawley's burial site is a stop on Connecticut's "Freedom Trail."
Saint John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cemetery, Stratford: resting place of aviation pioneer, Igor Sikorsky, and Rockabilly Hall of Fame inductee, Eddie Sulik.
Union Cemetery, Easton: according to paranormal expert Lorraine Warren (wife of Ed), "the most haunted cemetery in the country." This cemetery is a frequent stop for the notorious "White Lady." Included on the page are some intriguing photos taken at night.
Willowbrook Cemetery, Westport: burial place of some of Fairfield County's rich and elite. View lavish mausoleums (including that of Walter Langer "Baron" von Langendorff) and some very unusual monuments.

Morgan Cemetery stone