Established in 1811, the Catskill Village Cemetery demonstrates an esthetic bridge between the austere pre-Revolutionary churchyard and private cemeteries and birth of American Romanticism and the Rural Cemetery Movement in the 19th Century. This movement re-imagined the cemetery as a community space to be enjoyed and used for recreation and the enjoyment of nature and addition to its traditional purpose as a burial ground.
In November 2024, local historian and archivist of the Greene County Historical Society Jonathan Palmer presented a free nighttime tour of the Village of Catskill cemetery sponsored by the local non-profit, Cultivate Catskill. Local videographer Cynthia Putorti recorded audio of his talk at each of approximately sixteen gravesites as he discussed the biography of each person and the political, cultural, economic, and social events concurrent with the person’s life.
Scope of Collection
Short-form documentary videos of three to five minutes created from the audio voice-overs, incorporating historical documents such as photos, paintings, legal documents, and newspaper clippings. This inaugural set of thirteen videos include narration for eleven burials, one video covering the birth of the Village of Catskill itself, and one covering the history of the cemetery. Two of eleven burial videos are narrated by local historian Theodore Hilscher.
In addition to their availability here at NY Heritage, each narrated video can be accessed by capturing a QR Code on a sign at each location in the Catskill Village Cemetery.
