Plainfield's Baptist Cemetery is scheduled for a foreclosure auction.
How's that for an Earth Day story?
The historic cemetery, paired with the Methodist Cemetery along a stretch of Plainfield Avenue between West 5th and West 7th Streets, is being auctioned off by Tranzon LLC (see website here) tomorrow evening at the Kenilworth Inn.
The Baptist Cemetery (tax map).
Tax records for the city list both cemeteries as tax exempt.
Cemeteries were often associated with congregations in earlier times. The Friends Meeting House is a fine example, with an 18th-century cemetery behind the historic structure on Watchung Avenue and East 3rd Street.
The 19th century saw two different trends. Roman Catholic parishes, where it was expected congregants would be buried in consecrated ground, often purchased large plots of land for a parish's cemetery. St. Mary's Cemetery at Berckman Street and St. Mary's Avenue is a local example.
The other trend, 'garden cemeteries', began with Boston's Mount Auburn (1831) and Brooklyn's Green-Wood (1838) cemeteries. It was more secular and developed beautifully landscaped sites with rolling hills, winding roads, and small lakes and groves where families were encouraged to spend time -- even picnicking -- amongst the mausoleums and gravestones. Plainfield's Hillside Cemetery (1886) is a fine local example, whose popularity eventually eclipsed the older, plainer cemeteries in town.
The popularity of 'garden cemeteries'
eclipsed the older religious burial grounds.
Burials stopped long ago at both the Baptist and Methodist cemeteries, which have been plagued over the years with vandalism and neglect. There have been volunteer cleanup efforts from time to time, but since they are not active cemeteries, parking is difficult, and there appear to be no families tending the gravesites, the two languish.
The mystery in the current situation is how -- and why -- a mortgage was placed on the cemetery property.
And who would want to buy a cemetery -- even if the bid threshold is only $10,000.
Perhaps Assemblyman Green knows a developer. After all, the area is zoned R-4, which means it would make a fine location for some new luxury condos.
And the owners would have peaceful views of the Methodist Cemetery next door.
Much more attractive than the Ben Franklin Liquor Store parking lot the owners of the Senior Center condos, The Monarch at Plainfield, will have to put up with.
- Tranzon: "Auction IPG423: Baptist Cemetery, Plainfield, NJ"
- Hillside Cemetery (1886): "Official website"
- Mt. Auburn Cemetery (1831): "Official website" | "Wikipedia"
- Green-Wood Cemetery (1838): "Official website" | "Wikipedia"
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3 comments:
Dan,
The liquor store is an amenity for the buyers. They wont have too far to go to buy a cold 40 on a hot summer day!
We have a relative buried at this cemetery. Who can we contact to obtain more information?
Mrs. Austin
Mra. Austin -- First, note that the cemetery was NOT foreclosed on, so it is still there OK.
It is the property of the First-Park Baptist Church, 315 West 7th Street, Plainfield, NJ 07060.
At the time in 2009, my contact was Mrs. Lillie McNeill, though someone else may have the responsibility now.
You can also reach the church through their Facebook page --
http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Park-Baptist-Church/111623425542940
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