Sears Burying Ground, Putnam County, New York

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: Cemeteries

"Town of Southeast"

"The cemetery at Doansburg is generally known as the 'Sears Burying Ground,' from its being near the farm and homestead of Archibald Sears, who was during a long life a well known citizen of the town. The ground was a part of the estate of Frederick Philipse, and was given by him for burial purposes. In the field book of survey of Lot 8, of Philipse Patent, it is described: 'Begins at the middle of the road leading from Archibald Sears to Lyman Sherwoods, and the N. E. corner of Robert Penney, thence N. 5o W. 7 chains 60 links along the middle of the road; thence S. 32-3/4 W. S. 74 along another road and turnpike leading to Sing Sing; thence S. 87o E. 5.60 along said Sears and Penney to the beginning, containing 2 acres 8 rods; deed of gift.'

"Within this enclosure rest the early settlers of the neighborhood, and six minister of the parish have found here their last home. Many of the inscriptions are growing illegible, and to preserve them seems a duty not to be neglected. The oldest tombstone is erected to the memory of the wife of Rev. Elisha Kent, and a copy is given in the sketch of the church history...

"The Sears farm, which lies directly opposite to the burying ground and a part of which is on the north side of the road, is probably the one owned by Zebulon Bass, in 1766. It was sold to Archibald Sears, July 17th, 1815, by Frederick Philipse. The land to the east of the Oblong line, and adjoining the homestead, is part of Oblong Lot No. 10. The north part of this lot seems to have belonged to the Crosby family from the earliest times, and was probably first owned by Joshua Crosby in 1749.

"East of Doansburg, on the east bank of the Croton River is a locality known as De Forest's Corners. This derived its name from David L. De Forest, a prominent citizen of former times. He was one of the builders of the church in 1794. He died November 26th, 1819, at the age of 57. He was a liberal supporter of the church and left a thousand dollars to it in his will. His home was a large brick house still standing here, and owned by some of his descendants.

"On the west bank of the Croton, to the north of the road from Doansburg, is the original homestead of the Barnum family. The ancestor of this family was Capt. Joshua Barnum, who came from the town of Danbury, Conn., and settled here. This farm is a part of Lot 12 on the Oblong, and remains in the possession of his descendants. About a mile west of the church at Doansburg is the farm which, at the close of the last century, was owned by Peter Crosby, who was a prominent citizen. Owing to financial difficulties, the farm was sold at sheriff's sale, to Edmund Doane, May 2d, 1821, and by him to William K. Comstock, May 3d. It was sold May 10th, 1824, to Samuel Brewster, and is now owned by his son, Frederick D. Brewster.

"The ancient division line between Lot 9 of the Philipse Patent, which belonged to Roger Morris and his wife, and Lot 8, which belonged to Philipse Philipse, runs just south of Doansburg. The east corner is, as the old survey states, on the Oblong line on the 'west side of a rocky hill.' This point is 15 chains and 40 links east of the road, and from this place the line runs west and is the dividing line between the homestead and farm of Lyman Sherwood on the north, and the house and farm of Benjamin Foster on the south. The line is about one quarter of a mile south of the burying ground. Beyond this it forms the boundary between the farms of Frederick Brewster on the north, and Mrs. Robert Newman on the south. To the west of the road on Brewster Hill, it runs across the farm of Morgan Townsend. Here the line crosses Lake Tonetta (south of the middle) and can be distinctly traced to the west. At the Tilly Foster Mine, it forms the line between Theodore Kelly on the north, and the estate of Theodore Reed on the south, and is the north boundary of the land belonging to the Tilly Foster mine Company.

"The line crosses the reservoir at the east end of the bridge, and forms the north boundary of the school house lot in District No. 10. Beyond this a line of stone wall extends to the west corner of the two lots, on the town line of Carmel, which is the east line of Lot No. 6 in the Philipse Patent. At this point stands a walnut tree, which may have sprung from the root of the one mentioned in the original survey, which is described as 'standing on the south side of a hill near an old meeting house.' The land on both sides of the line is owned by Elijah Fowler."

"Town of Southeast." History of Putnam County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, by William S. Pelletreau, pp. 441-443. [1]

"The Church of East Philippi"

"It has been a mother of churches, giving thirty-two of its members to form what is now the Presbyterian Church of Brewster, N. Y., and sending a colony to Phelps, N. Y., which organized the Presbyterian Church there. Fanny Crosby the famous hymn writer, was born in this little hamlet, and this was her first church home.

"A long succession of godly and able men have filled the pulpit of the old church since the days of 'Priest Kent,' and six of them rest in the old cemetery near by. The old Sears' Burying Ground, so called because it lies adjacent to the farm and homestead of the late Archibald Sears, was given by Frederick Philipse for burial purposes. Here lie the early settlers: Crosbys Sears, Paddocks, Fosters, Bangs, Gage and Halls, all among those who planted this little colony in 'N. Y. Province.'

"Many of the inscriptions are becoming illegible and the stones are broken or prostrate. Church and cemetery are in these later days, suffering from neglect and the inability of the little band that remain to keep the premises in order and maintain regular services in the old church."

"The Church of East Philippi." The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, by New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, Vol. XXXII, 1901, pp. 214-215. [2]