At Coley Cemetery, Volunteer Restoration

Weston Today photos

Eddie Chiaramonte, a rising senior at Joel Barlow High School who has “a passion for cemetery restoration,” is hard at work repairing damaged gravesites at the historic Coley Cemetery and hopes Weston residents will help fund supply costs.

The town-owned cemetery, three acres on Route 57 near the intersection with Good Hill Road, dates back to around 1760.

Mr. Chiaramonte’s volunteer effort follows similar work he did as an Eagle Scout project at the Osborn Cemetery on Old Farm Road. Having some leftover supplies, he approached Town officials about continuing at Coley and was introduced to Karin Giannitti, who essentially oversees care of the cemetery and the Old Post Office next to Bisceglie-Scribner Park.

The supplies Mr. Chiaramonte uses include specialized epoxies, which are expensive. He also needs to devise ways to lift some large, fallen stones so they can be repaired and put back in place.

To contribute, you can write a check to the Town of Weston Grants & Gifts fund, and note in the memo “Coley Cemetery.”

Although many plots at the cemetery are clearly marked, especially those of prominent early day Weston families and veterans of the Revolutionary and Civil wars, much about who else is buried there and where is lost in time.

Mr. Chiaramonte is clearing some of the mist with research. He shares what he learns and the progress of his work in a Facebook group, Friends of the Coley Cemetery, which you can join.

One interesting story he discovered is that of Dwight E. Hewitt (1840-1915) who, according to a newspaper account that ran in various parts of the country, had a premonition of death and made his way to the cemetery to dig his own grave. His premonition was correct, but the grave was eight inches too short, so his burial was delayed two hours while diggers enlarged it.

Above, the gravesite of Mr. Hewitt and his wife, Catherine E. Coley. While several members of the Coley family rest at the cemetery, according to the Weston History & Culture Center no records indicate the family ever owned it. It became town property when Weston was incorporated in 1787.

Restored by Mr. Chiaramonte, this stone marks the grave of a child who died in 1796, five days after being born.

Seams in broken headstones, now repaired, should eventually weather and blend in to the natural stone color.

Mr. Chiaramonte will need to devise equipment to lift some heavy stones, like the one on the left, so they can be repaired and put back in place.

Mr. Chiaramonte searches the ground for shards of broken headstones, some of which are buried. He cleans, epoxies them back together, and uses a frame and clamps to give the glue time to cure. To the greatest degree possible, he also restores damaged engravings, carefully matching the lettering style.