The Historical Society will mark the 200th Anniversary of the Gilpin Cemetery with a rededication ceremony at the cemetery on Saturday, June 10. The program will include include a welcome address, an overview of the restoration work completed to date, and a dedication ceremony. Julie Hazelton Gebhart will sing Amazing Grace at the conclusion of the program.
Gilpin Cemetery is the final resting place of Irish immigrants Richard and Mary (Bortree) Gilpin and many of their descendants. The Gilpin and Bortree families were pioneer settlers in the Wallenpaupack Valley in the early 1800s, establishing homes and farms and mills along the Wallenpaupack Creek in what was first called Bortreetown and later became East Sterling. Richard and Mary Gilpin set aside a small plot on their homestead as a family cemetery.
Cemeteries have a deep historical connection to the local community. They bring residents closer to an understanding of the past and help to provide insights into how people within the area used to live. Recognizing the importance of our historic cemeteries, the Historical Society acquired legal ownership of the Gilpin Cemetery in 2014 and assumed management responsibility for its restoration and maintenance. Through a generous bequest from Marguerite Gilpin (1918-2011), the Historical Society has restored this historic cemetery and will ensure it will be preserved far into the future.
GDHS members and their guests are invited to attend the ceremony. Please contact Bernadine Lennon (570-857-0882 or balennon@att.net) or Ruth Altemier (570-676-4354 or gdhsgnc@gmail.com) for directions and more information.
