New Self-Guided Tours Highlight Historic West Hartford Cemetery

WEST HARTFORD, CT — West Hartford residents and visitors can now explore more than 300 years of local history through two new self-guided tours of the town's historic Center Cemetery, combining traditional historical research with interactive technology.

The new tours of the Old Center Burying Ground, now known as Center Cemetery, were created by West Hartford Town Historian Mary Donohue and Andrew Rana, a Hall High School student and Eagle Scout candidate.

The project was developed as part of West Hartford's celebration of the nation's 250th anniversary.

Located at 34 N. Main St., Center Cemetery is West Hartford's oldest English settlement site and has been in continuous use for more than three centuries.

The cemetery contains the graves of people from many walks of life, including African and English residents, wealthy and poor families, and men, women, and children whose lives helped shape the community.

The tours are available in two formats: an illustrated printed brochure and a QR code-based mobile tour.

Both are available through the Town of West Hartford's website.

Donohue, who researched the cemetery for its 2002 nomination to the National Register of Historic Places, has continued documenting its history by identifying individuals buried there, including those commemorated by deteriorating brownstone gravestones.

"It was exciting and interesting to find out more about West Hartford's founding families. Many had direct experience with the American Revolution," Donohue said.

The "Old Center Burying Yard: A Self-Guided Tour" is the second in a planned three-part series highlighting the town's historic cemeteries.

The first focused on Fairview Cemetery, while a third guide featuring North Cemetery is expected to be published later this month.

The Center Cemetery guide is also the first to highlight the Witness Stones memorial near the gravestone of Bristow, an enslaved man who purchased his freedom in 1776 and for whom Bristow Middle School is named.

Donohue said the project also connects visitors with newer historical resources.

"It was also great to connect the cemetery's history to new digital resources, such as Dr. Tracy Wilson's website documenting enslaved and enslavers from West Hartford's earliest history. One thing I hope the visitor notices is the artistry of the stone carvers in the Colonial period," she said.

As his Eagle Scout Service Project, Rana created the virtual tour using QR code technology.

He worked with Donohue to install signage and numbered markers throughout the cemetery, allowing visitors to scan a QR code at the entrance and follow designated stops.

The mobile tour provides historical narratives, photographs, and information about notable individuals, events, and landmarks, enabling visitors to explore the cemetery at their own pace.

Donohue has served as West Hartford's town historian for many years and has authored or co-authored numerous works on Connecticut history.

Her career has included roles in historic preservation, publishing, and leadership with organizations such as the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society, the West Hartford Historic District Commission, and the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford.

She has received multiple preservation awards, including the Janet Jainschigg Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation and the Frederick Law Olmsted Award.

Rana is a ninth-grade student at Hall High School and a member of BSA Troop 163.

In addition to earning the West Hartford Spelling Bee championship in 2025, he performs with the school's concert band and a cappella choir and participates in the Hall Robotics Club and the Westmoor 4-H Club.

He said he hopes to pursue a career in engineering.

For more information on the self-guided cemetery tours, click on this link.