East Hampton Village Picks Up the Tab to Repair Headstones in North End Cemetery

Time and weather have taken a toll on the headstones at the North End Cemetery, and while the East Hampton Village Board said it has been repairing  the historic markers, it is unsure how much longer it can carry the financial burden.

At the village board meeting on Friday, trustees approved spending $5,000 to repair and reset 44 headstones at the cemetery by . Mayor Paul F. Rickenbach, Jr., said, "We're stepping up to the plate, and wondering if we can continue down this road."

Over the years as funding from other sources has decreased, according to the board, the village has provided funding  to the North End Cemetery Association, which is in charge. The association has been reaching out to the village to help up keep the historical location, and the village has been answering the call.

The village board expressed the importance of keeping up the cemetery and the headstones, but shared concern over the lack of financial support from East Hampton Town.  Before the proposal was approved, Village Administrator Larry Cantwell said, "The village is considering going forward and repairing the headstones in this historic cemetery, but technically, it's not really a village obligation, because we don't own it."

The cemetery dates to 1770.  According to Village Historic Preservation Consultant Robert Hefner, the cemetery is part of the "old design" in which cemeteries of those times were formed in the center of villages. It has "a very New England arrangement" that creates its historical significance.

Village Historian Hugh King said that the North End Cemetery was formed after the South End Cemetery, and the timing of when it was formed seems to be a reflection of when the village started moving its settlement east.

Leander Arnold will be doing the repairs at the North End Cemetery before the winter weather arrives.