Buried Rochester, New York Area: 200 Years of Cemetery History

Showcases the rich history, artistry, and landscapes of cemeteries across Rochester and Upstate New York.

The Erie Canal jump-started development of the Rochester, New York, region in the early 1800s. In 1838, the City of Rochester created the nation’s first municipal garden cemetery. Buried Rochester New York Area features photographs providing virtual visits to fascinating cemeteries in Rochester and surrounding towns of Upstate New York. The reader will find an intriguing variety of headstones and monument styles ranging from hand-carved marble to modern designs in granite and sandstone. Each cemetery in the book has unique offerings. Tributes to prominent residents and veterans, catalogue-ordered zinc monuments, memorial gardens, family and community mausoleums, and outdoor columbaria are included. Cemeteries offer a place of solace for those left behind. Landscaped parks, glacial terrain, and magnificent trees enhance the beauty of these burial grounds, which are treasured as an important source of community history and family memories. Restoration of fragile monuments will preserve our heritage for future generations.

Jane Hopkins has photographed over 250 cemeteries primarily in the Eastern United States. Her work on the art and significance of cemeteries encompasses nearly 400 years of history. Jane studied darkroom photography at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C., and digital photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY. She lives with her husband Tom on the shore of Lake Ontario in the Rochester area, where she now concentrates her cemetery exploration.