Dale Cemetery in Ossining Added to National Register of Historic Places
Dale Cemetery in the Town of Ossining has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, the official list of the nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. In May, the cemetery was added to New York State’s Register of Historic Places.
“These designations represent the initial stages of the Town of Ossining’s efforts to establish a comprehensive cultural heritage tourism program,” said Ossining Town Supervisor Sue Donnelly.
According to Donnelly, the heritage tourism program will include tours, lectures and the establishment of a 501(c) organization called the “Ossining Historical Cemeteries Conservancy,” which will work with several cemeteries within town borders, such as Dale, which was founded in 1851, and the Sparta Cemetery, dating to pre-Revolutionary war times. The organization will raise awareness of historical cemeteries and allow for contributions of time, financial support, or labor.
Former Councilman Miguel Hernandez, a public historian who conducted the historical designation study and also presents lectures and tours of Ossining’s historical places, remarked, “Cemeteries are not just resting places for the dead, but places for the living to get a real understanding of Ossining’s history, complete with images, artifacts, words and landscapes that have architectural, cultural and historical significance.”
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
