Forgotten Howell Cemetery Gets A Makeover From Jamesburg Man

HOWELL, NJ – It’s not hard to miss the centuries-old Brewer Cemetery if you’re not looking for it. For decades, the Howell location has been overgrown with weeds and rotting tombstones buried under thick brush on Squankum Road. Last week, several area locals set out to change that.

As first reported by News 12 New Jersey, Jamesburg resident Ron Errickson had no connection to the cemetery, having only driven by the location in recent years. Yet, for several days over the past week, Errickson and five other individuals cleaned up Brewer Cemetery in order to memorialize the individuals buried in the “forgotten” location.

The locals cut grass, remarked tombstones and trimmed tree branches to beautify the local memorial.

“There’s people that were laid to rest here, that’s full of history. We have veterans all around us here, probably about 9 or 10 that were buried here,” Errickson told News 12 New Jersey. “I did this out of my own time, my own money. I got everybody together and had this happen, and I’m very happy with this.”

According to New Jersey State Library documents, the plot began as a burial ground for Shrewsbury resident Adam Brewer. In his 1768 will, the land was set aside for Brewer’s family cemetery, which was subsequently maintained for several generations.

Hundreds of individuals were buried in the location over the years, including several Civil War and World War I veterans. Many of the cemetery’s tombstones date back to the early 1800s, with its oldest recorded burial dating back to 1806.

It was only after Brewer’s direct relatives left the area that the location became ill-kept and overgrown. That is, until Errikson and other locals made the effort to restore the resting place.

You can view what the location looked like before the cleanup here.

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