Marching through the Colonial cemetery on Hackettstown's
Main Street, Charles Prestopine frequently drops to his knees and
whacks overgrowth on the recently refurbished headstones of 29 veterans
of the Revolutionary War.A key cog in the restoration of the 249-year-old cemetery and the markers of its patriots, the 75-year-old re-enactor is always tinkering.
"Your work is never done," Prestopine said.
Prestopine and a group of history enthusiasts have restored almost all of the headstones. With only a few remaining, he reflected on the group's efforts days after America celebrated its 236th birthday.
Several who served under Gen. George Washington, as well as 10 soldiers who fought in the War of 1812, are among the 1,200 souls interred in the Olde Burial Ground adjacent to the historic First Presbyterian Chapel at 291 Main St.
Prestopine, who has lived on High Street for almost 45 years, was shocked in 1998 when he witnessed the condition of the storied memorial park. He joined a committee of like-minded people who intended to resurrect history.
"The function of our committee is to restore. ... A fitting honor for those who fought in the American Revolution" Prestopine said. "That's why that little, old burial ground is important to us."
While he acknowledged that there are many cemeteries in Warren County that include Revolutionary War soldiers, he believes the Hackettstown site has one of the largest groups.
"If it isn't the most, it's close," Prestopine said. "I think we're up there in the top. ... Twenty-nine is a good number."
Bob Considine, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, said the state is unsure which burial ground holds the most veterans of the American Revolution.
"We actually don't know if the Olde Burial Ground Cemetery is the largest Revolutionary War burial ground in the county or state," Considine wrote in an email last week. "There are probably some grounds that aren't listed through the Historic Preservation Office, and we don't track things like acreage for every location."
The cemetery and the chapel were both founded in 1763. Starting in 1999, the all-volunteer Olde Burial Ground Committee, led by Prestopine, has restored 183 headstones with private donations and state funding.
Eagle Scouts have helped rebuild the low stone walls that surround the site, and there are still several headstones that need major repairs.
Prestopine, who retired as a history teacher from Hopatcong High School in 1994, continually adds new American flags to the headstones. He said there is a sad irony to all of the volunteers' work.
"Most of the people in Hackettstown don't even know that the burial ground is there," he said. "The people who live here go by and aren't consciously aware of the historic treasures that are here."
Hackettstown Mayor Maria DiGiovanni implores residents to take a stroll through the cemetery.
"If people haven't actually gone there to see it, especially if you live in Hackettstown, take a half-hour out of your day and just go and look at those graves," she said. "... Feel the history in the burial ground."
Other notable people buried there include John M. Roof, an associate engineer of the Morris Canal who died in town of the yellow fever, and the family of Capt. William Helms, a member of the 2nd New Jersey Regiment who hailed from Hackettstown.
Gen. Washington traveled north and south on County Route 517, a Colonial highway, from the highlands of New York to Trenton, and was a frequent visitor to Hackettstown. He visited often with Lt. Robert Wilson, who was influential in supplying the Continental Army at Morristown's Jockey Hollow camp with supplies during the hard winters of 1779 and 1780.
In 2006, the Board of Trustees of The Association for Gravestone Studies presented The Oakley Certificate of Merit, an international award for preservation of gravestones and expanded public awareness, to the Burial Ground Committee for distinguished achievement in promoting the mission of the association.
On Thursday, Prestopine parked his truck, walked among the small stones and new markers and then sat nearby and looked admirably at what he saw.
"I say to the 29 Revolutionary War soldiers, 'Rest in peace,'" he said, "Job well done."
