THE CEMETERY by Mary Utley ("B") Murphy

"In the month of May, 1871, Henry Smith, one of the oldest settlers of Pewee Valley, engaged the attention and enlisted the interests of a number of prominent citizens in the undertaking of establishing a Public Cemetery."  (Excerpted from 'Reports etc, of the Pewee Valley Cemetery Company from the establishment in May 1871 - compiled from original documents and arranged during the winter of 1887/8 by Stephen Schuler')

The task of providing for a properly located site and the necessary expenses of enclosing, laying out, and landscaping was provided for in a short time.  A subscription list soon disclosed the sum of $1410.00 promised to be paid.

Henry Smith was delegated to make selection of a suitable plot of ground.  He reported the selection and price in June.  With acceptance of his findings, an Executive Committee of three, consisting of T.H. Rhorer, Henry Smith, and Stephen Schuler was formed.  The land selected, which consisted of 14 acres, was bought under date of August 3, 1871 from George W. Curl for the sum of $400.00.  Also, 1 acre along his southwest boundary was purchased from Samuel Curl for the sum of $118.00.

Stephen Schuler was engaged to survey, and to lay off the design for an ornamental rural cemetery, for which labor he was paid a certain number of burial lots which he selected after the completion.  His plan was accepted and he was further delegated to contract for fencing, the labor for this also to be paid in burial lots.  By October the fencing was completed and the shaping of some of the more important avenues and sections of the Cemetery were being laid out.  The work continued into the spring of 1872, with the sections shaped and partly graded and staked into lots and shade and ornamental trees planted.

During the later part of Winter 1872, Judge P.B. Muir of Pewee Valley formulated a charter, in conformity with the wishes of the Committee and others, and had it presented to the legislature at Frankfort, where it was passed on March 6, 1872.  (Chapter 446.)  Thus, 'the cemetery' became a Corporation with the name Pewee Valley Cemetery Company.  Further, the committee became a Board of Directors, the land exempted from taxation, each lot holder became a member entitled to vote at meetings, and all lots were and are to remain subject to the by-laws, rules, and regulations of the Corporation and Directors.

To all intents and purposes the Pewee Valley Cemetery seemed to be progressing satisfactorily through the close of 1872, but soon difficulty in collecting subscriptions turned into serious deficit.  Improvements stopped, and interest waned as recession deepened into a 12 year depression.

The one improvement during this time, specifically November 7, 1877, was the change of entrance from its former location to the present location at the end of Maple Avenue.  Exchanges of land with S.W. Curl and the Bush heirs accomplished this without monetary outlay.

During the years Henry Smith continued his active participation in the development of the Cemetery until his death on March 18, 1883.  He was laid to rest beside his wife, Susan, who had died August 26, 1871 and who was the first known to be buried in the Cemetery.

On August 27, 1889, there being business to attend, directors for the Cemetery were elected and proved.  George Metz proposed that a public road be established through the Cemetery.  The road would be about 40 feet wide, and proceed from the present entrance to the corner between him and Charles Stoess, about 40 poles long, and would separate the African-American Section on the one side from the Cemetery proper on the other side.  He would pay $200.00 provided the amount be applied to the existing indebtedness, and would also build a good fence along the southwest side of the new road from the Cemetery entrance gate to his boundary.  This was agreeable, and Stephen Schuler accepted $200.00 payable on January 8, 1890 as payment in full for his service debt, and burial lots for the remainder of the 17 years interest due him.  On September 23, 1889, Stephen Schuler deeded over the grounds (which had been held in trust by him) of Pewee Valley Cemetery to the Directors of the Cemetery and their successors.

On July 10, 1900, the Directors approved a petition from A. F. Lesher to open a gate and roadway at the southeast end of the 40 foot public road, making the corner stone of George Metz Estate and the petitioner the center of the road, which was to be 24 feet wide to allow for the gate, extending to the end of the Cemetery.  As agreed, Lesher built the fence on the east side of the road.

On July 1, 1904 at a called meeting, the directors of Pewee Valley Cemetery approved a request ‘to procure the burial Lot called Section III for the use of the Veteran Soldiers at the Confederate Home located in Pewee Valley. This allowed repurchase of the remaining lots from Stephen Schuler, to build a new woven wire fence along the Public Road facing Section III, and to macadamize the Cemetery avenue around Section II.  (The width of the road to be rocked was 9 feet.)

Let it be noted that subsequently there was more than the one contract for space as the old Veterans died, there being more than the original lot could accommodate.  There also is the probability that some of the Veterans were buried in the public area of the Cemetery with wives or family, since there was a restriction on other than Veterans being buried in Section III.

The records for the Cemetery continue until August 31,1913 with little of note having been accomplished.  Some sketchy accounts are available showing contributions and expenditures for upkeep of the roads, brush removal, and fence repairs into the latter 1920s.  It is assumed that there were other records that have been lost in the succeeding years until 1955.  Each family lot holder was to care for his or her own lot and help with upkeep of roads and any other maintenance needed.  With World War I, a deep recession in the 1920's and 1930's, and the years of World War II, many families moved away, others became too elderly to do physical work, or died.  As a result, the Cemetery became neglected and mostly overgrown, even to the extent that lot holder families went elsewhere for burials, and few newcomers to the area were even aware that there was a nearby burial place.

In 1955 Buford Renaker, with the help of Norris Summers and Matthews Fletcher, decided to, and undertook the task of renewing interest in the Cemetery, particularly in Section III.  Due to age and infirmities, the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy had become unable to maintain their practice of care, and had, in fact, merged into another chapter located in Louisville.  The three perused some of the old records that exist and verified with the Commonwealth the original Incorporation of the Company in order to be able to pursue a plan of reclamation and enlist help from those lot holders or family members they could locate.  They were elected and affirmed the Board of Directors at a called meeting of those attending.  By soliciting the Governor ('Happy' Chandler) they were able to get Reformatory inmate help with clearing part of the ground, resetting headstones, refilling sunken graves in Section III, and mowing.  They also cost shared with the Commonwealth chain link fencing on two sides of the Cemetery.  Buford Renaker was instrumental in persuading the Legislature in 1968 to enact a provision for an annual expenditure of $1200.00 total for five of the Confederate Burial Grounds within the Commonwealth.  These three men continued their interest and work until late 1978 when health dictated their retirement.  They are to be commended for their efforts and accomplishments.

A succession of Directors followed, and a number of improvements were made.  The Oldham County Historical Society initiated reestablishment of the Confederate Memorial Day ceremony and enlisted the Sons of the Confederacy who became active in the service.  But, alas, interest once again waned.

In late 1989 because of a lack of interest, vandalism, insufficient funding from individual lot holders, and the death of one of the Directors, there was a proposal by the Chairman of the Directors of Pewee Valley Cemetery Company to the Board of Commissioners of Pewee Valley that they take over maintenance of the Cemetery in return for the remainder of unused grounds to be used as a deeded park.  The prospect of giving away the Cemetery without the knowledge of the one remaining duly confirmed director, and no public notice until an article appeared in the daily newspaper created quite a furor among the townsfolk.  This was declined, as was appropriate, by the town due to liability and upkeep of the grounds by the town.  The Articles of Incorporation of the Cemetery Company specifically prohibit such a move.  This fiasco prompted the election of Directors (at a called meeting in March of 1990) who have dedicated their actions to restoration of the Cemetery.

I, Mary Utley (B.) Murphy, a holdover director, who was elected to the Board in 1983, was selected Chairman of the Board of Directors.  With little factual knowledge about the history of the Company, the physical plat, and less about the mechanisms of the organization, an intensive search for records, personal knowledge by ‘old timers’, and news clippings began.  Some of the foregoing information has been gleaned from these sources and incorporated into the stormy history.  Work was the name of the game!  Time was used with impunity!  With pride in a job well done thus far, other findings and some of our solutions follow.

ON THE JOB TRAINING

Although I had served on the Board of Directors since February 1983, I had no knowledge of any of the physical structuring, and had, in fact, been told only once how to locate a possible lot sale.  The former Chairman of the Board of Directors was an attorney, working too many hours to take interest.  I was living about eight miles from the Cemetery on a working farm.  Grove Gleason, the other Director, was living in town, so he was the logical person to have in charge, but his physical condition deteriorated, and his subsequent death in 1987 left a big vacancy in the Board of Directors.  Grove had talked with me by telephone and twice at the Cemetery, and, as I now understand, he had tried to do all he could to prepare me to take his place overseeing the mowing, locating plots for grave spaces of deceased, and selling occasional plots.  He did all maintenance and repair with little regular financial income to the Cemetery, this being by the contributions from only a very few who cared enough to see the conditions.  How he was missed in the years from 1987 to 1990, when neglect was at its best, and no one was elected to take his place!  I am so thankful there was little to be done during that time in the way of plots and graves, as I didn’t have any guidelines or records to follow.

I was a babe in the woods, literally, when elected Chairman of the Board of Directors in 1990.  I went to the Cemetery to try to judge what needed to be done first, second, etc..  The tremendously sized old trees that had been in place since 1871 were in dire condition.  Limbs had fallen from trees and were in need of removal from the fences as well as from graves and headstones.  The grounds were rough and overgrown with all sorts of weeds, untrimmed shrubs, flowers gone wild, multiflora roses, and scrub grasses.  Headstones were broken and heaved from their bases.  The task was almost overwhelming.

As usual, my husband, Thomas D. Murphy, a farmer of unusual abilities, was the first to be consulted.  Although he was not on the Board of Directors, Tom is a direct descendent of Henry Smith, one of the founders, as well as a lot holder.  He had encouraged me to attempt this endeavor.  We worked together on the farm, and this was little different from clearing a field.

The Board decided to clean the grounds as a first step.  A called meeting of known lot holders and those interested in the Cemetery resulted in a Picnic Work Day, gathering trash, chopping scrub trees and underbrush, mowing grasses, cutting and picking up limbs.  All this was hauled to a central point to be burned.  Work Day was a success and opened many eyes to the fact that this was not a self sustaining organization -- we needed every hand to help.

A plea for contributions of at least $25.00, and preferably more, was well received.  We, I use the term "We" because without so much from those who have been there and done, the accomplishments would not have occurred, were about to start a Bank Account for the first time since the 1880's!  Grove had two long term $500.00 Certificates of Deposit that had come to the Cemetery from some of the earlier families who had lots.  At maturity these were cashed and reinvested in stock.

Who could guess that in less than a month a storm would hit our wonderful accomplishment and uproot some of the old trees and strew limbs all over the place?  This event necessitated a Board meeting to try to determine which trees had to go due to age and condition.  The result was some 25, very large and in varying stages of deterioration, and too near to headstones and markers.  Very costly professional cutting was the only way.  To save money, Tom and I decided to attempt to move the felled trees.  Those old trunks were four to five feet across, the limbs were as large as the average tree trunk in yards today.  We did it, using the farm tractor and lots of 'will power' to supplement 'determination'.

Our next project was to check as best we could the plot lines and road ways for accuracy.  I had a smattering of knowledge in surveying and laying out land areas, and Tom had the ability to estimate distance accurately.  By using the old measurements of lots in the ‘Records’ and a map that had been written on and used to locate lots through the years, we studied.  Together, we started measuring, and soon realized we had to grid with string to be accurate with the plots.  Then we found original corner lot stones, and trees planted at corners of lots.  They were remarkably true in location, corresponding to the original plat.  We ran grids of five strings to verify all measurements and corners.  Next, the corners were marked with metal markers to facilitate location in winter weather by using metal detectors and/or probes.  There is a 13' wide, rocked access road between the chain link fence and the lot boundary on two sides of the Cemetery, which I assume was for wagon or hearse use, the other two sides having a roadway.  We found the well marked original entrance to the Cemetery to be at the opposite end of the NW Border Section from the present entrance.  This is in a very wet area.  I have been told the old public access road to the Cemetery was changed for this reason.  The roadway near the present entrance has been altered by vehicles 'cutting in' over many years.  This will be corrected as we rock in the future.  Walks run through each section to facilitate access to lots and need to be reestablished.

North West Border Section:

There were supposedly and presumed "walkways" designated on the plat (M Fletcher notes same in his circa 1955 log of researched burials), however, we found lot dimensions to be without allowance, except for the one 6 foot wide walk running parallel to the fence, and bordered by lots #1 through #10 and #11 through #21.  All other lots lie adjacent without regard to walkways, intended or otherwise, even where stones are, which designate there might have been.  Could these have been laid out by consent of the lot owners as a possible walkway?  I don’t know, can only speculate.  Lots on this lower end (original entrance) are very wet in winter and spring, so should never be used for burials.  Access to the Cemetery might have been very difficult prior to changing the entrance.

There are some three or four burials that have taken place in the access road in lot #38.  Lots #38 and #39 are now designated as lot #38.  A grave space and headstone is encroaching the access road at lot #14.  These burials should never have taken place in the access road.

Section II:

The afore mentioned roadway seriously encroaches on lots #1 through #5.  This has been corrected as much as possible and will continue to be.  The roadway as it circles Section II swings out as it crosses the culvert opposite lot #52.  This will be corrected as best possible.  The sharp turn at lot #41 is readily understood when accounted for by the reversal of entrances and traffic flow.

There are three 6' wide walkways running the length of this section, with walk #1 bounding lots #1 through #5; walk #2 the longest and middle one, and walk #3 bounding lots #50 through #54.  These walks are essential to access the inner lots and spaces.  All have been chipped to assure safer walking on a more level surface.

There being enough space inside lot #14 triangle, it was split it into a 20'x10' lot, for 4 more spaces, and left adequate size for planting etc. in the triangle.  The burial space lot is numbered #14, the remainder triangle space is 14-A but not numbered for sale.  Some of the lots in this Section II are in a natural drain area and probably should not be used until further evaluation and drainage correction is done.

Section II-A:

This section is confusing to a degree.  There was at some point a desire to have lots on a drier site, yet near the North West Border Section, so this original planting area was used as an auxiliary burial lot area.  It is surrounded by a rocked roadway, with lot #8 appearing to be almost totally in the rocked roadway according to the plat.  Lots #1 through #8 are marked, and since there was space, there are laid out 2 more lots on the lower end 8'x16' each adjacent to lots #4 and #5 for a total of 8 more spaces.

Section I:

This section was the easiest to survey and mark.  There were some corner lot markers placed by lot holders and some of the walks were partially rocked, also, by lot holders.  There are two walks, one 8' wide and the other 9' wide, bounding each side of lot #15 through lot #23.  When chipped, they were made 6' wide to conform with the other walks, there being no need to drive a hearse to the site.

The road surrounding Section I was finished only on the one side bounded by Section II, leaving most of the perimeter lots without any access.  The road was completed with ditches and culverts to drain some of the lower lots that tended to be wet in spring.  They are now totally useable.  Most of this section is taken, however, there are some choice spaces remaining.  A great deal of it is held by Sons of the Confederacy and other descendants of the veterans, especially that portion overlooking the Confederate Burial Section.

Section IV:

This is the newest section to be laid out.  It is now marked, and waits having the roads and walks completed.  This will be done as soon as money allows and the need arises.  There remains enough unused land to nearly double the size of the Cemetery if developed.  A great deal of planning for each step of each phase is mandatory, not to mention the physical work and cost involved.  I will add that Mr. Schuler did a marvelous job of planning, surveying, and laying out the Cemetery as a whole.  His original plan is being followed as nearly as possible to hold the historical integrity of the concept.  It is to be hoped each progressive move that is made will be done with the question, ‘Was this the intent of the founding fathers?’, and answered in the affirmative.  Thus far, I believe it has been.

The Future

As the Cemetery continues to develop, the goal has been to build a Perpetual Care Fund.  This way there will not be the need for the few to sacrifice both money and physical work to achieve perpetuity of the grounds.  So far, we have made great strides toward the goal.  In the next few years we hope to have sound footing and breathing room to do more improving.  Instead of all volunteer clerical and physical workers, there needs to be a paid caretaker who is available at all times to care for the grounds and see to the needs of the Cemetery.  There also needs to be a secretary to keep the records, and who cares enough to answer the queries and mail that come in.  Since genealogy is a hobby of mine, I try to give attention to all queries, but I am afraid I don’t give as complete answers as I could if there was more time to research.

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