Jersey City and Harsimus Cemetery is a historic

rural cemetery A rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of cemetery that became popular in the United States and Europe in the mid-nineteenth century due to the overcrowding and health concerns of urban cemeteries. They were typically built one to five ...

located in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was established in 1829 by the first cemetery company founded in the State of New Jersey and is the size of . The cemetery is an early example of Garden Style landscape cemeteries. The cemetery fell into disrepair and was abandoned in 2008. A volunteer group has since been founded to maintain the cemetery. The location of the cemetery was used as an ammunition bunker for the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

and was a site of skirmishes in 1780 during the Revolutionary War. Since 2011 goats are used for weed control during the summer.

Events

In order to raise funds for the upkeep of the grounds and caretaker facilities, the all-volunteer organization has partnered with local groups to produce year round events. Events include: * The Ghost of Uncle Joe – A music and theatrical event that occurs in October *

Shakespeare in the Park Shakespeare in the Park is a term for outdoor festivals featuring productions of William Shakespeare's plays. The term originated with the New York Shakespeare Festival in New York City's Central Park, originally created by Joseph Papp. This c ...

by the

Hudson Shakespeare Company The Hudson Shakespeare Company is a regional Shakespeare touring festival based in Jersey City in Hudson County, New Jersey, that produces an annual summer Shakespeare in the Park festival and often features lesser done Shakespeare works such as '' ...

. The main Shakespeare company of

Hudson County Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...

has the cemetery as one of its tour stops on its regular summer tours. * Halloween tours *

Constitution Day Constitution Day is a holiday to honour the constitution of a country. Constitution Day is often celebrated on the anniversary of the signing, promulgation or adoption of the constitution, or in some cases, to commemorate the change to constitut ...

– A yearly event that takes place at the end of September celebrating the different eras of veterans buried in the cemetery. Eras date from the Revolutionary War to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Notable burials

* Charles F. Durant (1805–1873), made the first ascent by an American in a hot air balloon''Hudson Reporter''
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References

External links

* *
Wikimapia: Hilltop, JC
{{Coord, 40, 43, 38, N, 74, 3, 17, W, type:landmark_region:US-NJ, display=title Cemeteries in Hudson County, New Jersey History of Jersey City, New Jersey Rural cemeteries 1829 establishments in New Jersey

Events

Notable burials

See also

References

External links