South Wellfleet Cemetery

It's unkempt -- and there's no blame meant in that -- but it was a great and historical place in which to wander about this past Sunday afternoon. My primary goal was to find the gravesite of one John Taylor who was a "Life Guard" -- that is, a mounted bodyguard -- for General George Washington during the Revolutionary War. His wife, Lydia, owned a tavern in Fresh Brook, which was a settlement some 3 or 4 miles south of South Wellfleet; there is nothing left of Fresh Brook except some indentations in the earth where once there were cellars; the place is not easily found without good advice from wonderful local historians like Russell and Verna Moore.



The most beautiful and touching stone I came across was the one below: "Our Mother"

In the approximate center of the cemetery the South Wellfleet Congregational Church once stood; a plaque commemorates this:

When the community of South Wellfleet could no longer support the church the building was moved to the center of Wellfleet and became the Town Hall. Though this building burned in 1960, it was re-built to resemble as closely as possible that which fire had destroyed. Pictured on the left is Town Hall today, where, before the last election, I registered to vote, and where Jodie became the 171st officially registered Wellfleetian dog in the year of 2009.

(Thanks to my friend Kathy for kindling my interest in John Taylor; thanks to Russell and Verna for charming lessons in local history.)