Cold Spring, NY – The Putnam History Museum is offering special guided tours of the Mountain Avenue and Nelsonville Cemeteries on Saturday, October 19^th, and Friday, October 25, 2024, with tours available at 3:30 PM and 5:00 PM. PHM staff will guide visitors through some of the oldest burial sites in Philipstown, uncovering the stories behind the gravestones and exploring how cemetery symbolism provides a glimpse into the lives and beliefs of those who came before us.

Led by PHM’s Education and Public Programming Manager Kara Mattsen, the tour will highlight the resting places of Cold Spring’s earliest European settlers, Civil War veterans, 19th-century immigrants, and other significant 19^th-century figures. Visitors will also learn about the meanings behind gravestone symbols and how these markers reflect evolving attitudes towards death and remembrance.

During the tour, visitors will learn about early settlers like the Davenport family, some of the first European colonists in Cold Spring, and Sylvanus Warren, a New York State Assemblyman and father of Civil War General Gouverneur K. Warren and Emily Warren Roebling, one of the engineers behind the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge. The tour will also highlight the experiences of 19th-century Irish immigrants, like Patrick Dillon, who came to work at the West Point Foundry, along with notable Cold Spring residents such as poet and editor George Pope Morris.

“Kara has developed an incredible tour to share with our guests. We’ll be exploring everything from colonial-era gravestones to Victorian-era symbolism, shedding light on how cemeteries serve as both historical records and sacred spaces,” said Cassie Ward, PHM’s Executive Director. “After the tour, visitors will be equipped with the knowledge to further explore and interpret other local cemeteries – important places that provide us with a lasting way to interact with local history.”

Pre-registration is required for these tours, which are expected to sell-out. Please visit the PHM’s website to register today: www.putnamhistorymuseum.org