How group keeps history alive with fixes, upgrades to 17th-century Bucks County cemetery

Home to the oldest headstone in Bucks County, Slate Hill Cemetery stands on the edge of Yardley-Morrisville Road, overlooking a street full of modern restaurants and shops.

Like many historic sites, time has worn the Colonial-era cemetery down, prompting a need for preservation efforts beyond a simple tune-up.

Recently, Lower Makefield received funding from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission 2023-2024 Keystone Historic Preservation Grant program, and is opting to use the money to restore the historic Slate Hill Cemetery. The grant comes in response to letters of support sent to the commission by state Sen. Steve Santarsiero and state Rep. Perry Warren.

Slate Hill Cemetery, named after the component found in the original soil of the site, was established in 1690 as a Quaker burial ground. Today, it features headstones and gravesites that are over 300 years old, the oldest headstone in the cemetery dating back to 1698.

While the cemetery is owned by Lower Makefield, it is maintained by the township's Historic Commission made up by members of the community who are passionate about the preservation of the town's history.

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Two members of the Historic Commission, Monica Hinden and Thomas Argentieri, spend at least one day a week on their hands and knees in the cemetery where they hand clean the headstones. Cleaning the headstones, "is like eating an elephant," said Argentieri, "you do it one small bit at a time."

Argentieri and Hinden say that the grant money will be used in two phases, the first beginning as early as this fall.

"This is definitely a long-term project," Argentieri said.

Phase one will focus largely on restoring the cemetery, allocating funds to buy proper cleaning solutions for the limestone headstones, saving headstones that may be in danger of falling or breaking, and bringing in Freemasons to repair headstones that are broken or have worn away over time.

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Modernizing old cemetery to be 'more of a museum'

The second phase, beginning next spring, will focus on adding elements of curation and education to the cemetery.

Hinden explained that because no new burials will happen within the cemetery, the goal in phase two is to make the site, "more of a museum."

The Historic Commission spends hours researching the names of those buried on the site, aiming to set up digital QR codes for visitors to scan and learn more about the lives of the people buried at Slate Hill. The grant allows for the modernized feature and an "opportunity to bring the town's history to life," said Argentieri.

The Historic Commission hopes that the restoration will help Slate Hill Cemetery become a spot for the community to get excited about their history.

"Some of these names are still all over Lower Bucks," said Hinden, who got involved with the commission almost three years ago when she moved to town and was fascinatedby the history of the cemetery and saddened by its poor condition. "I've met people whose family names I recognize from the headstones."

Hinden and Argentieri invite anyone interested in being involved with Slate Hill Cemetery to pay a visit to the site and check out their Facebook group. Hinden hopes that the grant and following restoration will inspire more people to take interest in the site, "There's just something special about it," she said.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: How group keeps history alive with fixes, upgrades to 17th-century Bucks County cemetery