How to Find Old Gravestones

Are you interested in old gravestones? Many people are! The hobby of finding old gravestones is called graving. If you'd like to start graving here are some ways to find the oldest gravestones in your area.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. VISIT YOUR CEMETERIES! If you want to find old gravestones in your area start at the cemeteries you already visit. Look for the sections in the cemetery with flat headstones that look worn out and are usually tilted. Those are the older sections of the cemetery and you'll find the oldest gravestones there.

2. VISIT ROADSIDE CEMETERIES! You should also visit road side cemeteries. These are family plots that at one time were somewhere near the family home. Many times there are very old cemeteries that can't be seen from the road but are tucked away in the woods covered by new growth. You can find these plots by doing a bit of research.

3. ASK THE TOWN HALL! To find the oldest cemeteries in your area a quick trip to your local town hall will get you started in the right direction. If they do not have a list of cemeteries they will most likely be able to tell you where to go to get the information.

4. ASK CHURCHES! Another great source for finding old cemeteries is churches. They may have records with the locations of old private family plots. Be sure you visit all the churches because most churches only hold records for their parish.

5. ASK THE LIBRARY! You should also stop by the local public library. They may have actual cemetery listings available and if not, they will at least have some resources available to help you look them up.

6. SEARCH ONLINE! Many people love to explore old gravestones and they list their findings online to help others who are searching for particular family members. One great site is Find A Grave (see link in the resource section). Even if you are not looking for any particular graves you can search for old grave listings in your area then you can go visit them. And you may just find out something about your own history along the way!

Resources

• Find a Grave

[vallain]

on 7/25/2009 I love driving around New England and seeing all the old family graveyards in out-of-the-way places. Very scenic.

[oxymora]

on 7/24/2009 My husband and I love going to graveyards and looking for old gravestones. They can be amazing.