The meeting was called to order on Tuesday, August 23 at 7:30 pm in the Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library. Present were Stanley Young, Michael Dell’Orto, Corinne Blagbrough, David Potter, Dan Donovan, and Nancy Clark. Also in attendance was a guest, David Palance, an expert in cemetery mapping.

The minutes were read and accepted. The Treasurer reported that no money had been spent.

David Palance was then introduced. As an expert in locating and mapping old cemeteries, he told the Commission that he has located the old County Farm Cemetery. He provided the GPS coordinates as well as a map of the area. The cemetery takes up .04 acres. David Palance said that the cemetery needs a major clean-up, and noted that such maintenance is required by law. As well, the cemetry must be surrounded by a “good and sufficient fence” and he noted that he found an old iron gate. Nevertheless, he cautioned against launching an immediate clean-up because there are clues in the overgrowth and the ground hollows of long neglected cemetery sites. For example, wooden crosses decay and crumble and leave fertile areas where a denser pattern of bushes and foliage may line up to indicate a row of graves. He further said that such rows will most likely be facing east, to greet the morning sun. A trained eye knows what to look for in an undisturbed graveyard and he recommended leaving the space untouched until a real survey could be done. Ground penetrating radar is also used during the process. At any rate, there remains the question of access to the site, which lies enisled within private land. The question of the right-of-way remains clouded. It does seem that the County failed to reserve for itself and others an easement for a right-of-way to the cemetery when the County Farm was moved from Wilton to Goffstown in 1894 -- or, to be more accurate, the County claims to have no list of records pertaining to such properties as the old cemetery.

Michael reported that 14-25 people a year died at the County Farm. Burial services were held and a casket maker is noted in the records. One cannot be sure whether all inmates of the Farm were buried there or whether some bodies were claimed by family members and interred elsewhere, nevertheless, during the life of the Farm, from 1867 to 1894, many deaths occurred and presumably there are many graves in the County Farm Cemetery. Michael noted that the Farm housed the poor and indigent, the old and the sick, petty criminals, the insane, and there was, on average, a population of 25 children in residence. There was a separate building for the insane, ten rooms served as a hospital, and a reform school was built in 1871. Over time, the number of inmates of all sorts rose from 96 to 500, at the end.

The Heritage Commission thanked David Palance for his most interesting and useful presentation. As a further note of interest, David mentioned that he now lives in the house that Harriet Wilson once lived in, on the Milford-Wilton line.

Corinne reported that she had arranged to meet with architectural historian Lisa Mausolf at the Town Hall in the middle of September to take a tour of the premises. Any interested Commission members were invited to join them.

Stanley showed a design sketch for the historical display kiosk at the Whiting Mill site. Dan said he visited the Sheldrick Forest kiosk, which he called a masterpiece. Dan said he was about to get the kiosk building project underway.

Michael suggested that the Commission’s next historic sign should go on the Wilton Town Hall Theatre which has a long history of uninterrupted use as a theater, and which remains a most valuable asset to the town. The Commission moved that Michael approach Dennis about the idea.

Corinne had information on the folksingers. They charge $400 for a performance. Corrine wondered whether they could be scheduled to perform during Old Home Day, next August. There is sufficient time to look into the possibility and to find sponsorship funds.

David Potter reported that he happened upon a man power-washing stones in the Fitzwilliam cemetery. This man proved to be the sexton and he is passionate about cleaning stones. He said that power-washing works very well on granite -- one has to be very gentle with marble. The sexton also repairs gravestones, although he is not a professional. He gave information on the materials needed and he said he would be willing to train people to make repairs. The Heritage Commission would like to talk to him and find out more about his methods.

The meeting adjourned at 9 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Clark