Long Island Gravestone Studies: Research Sources   Tags: books, early american history, eresources, history, long island, primary sources, research, special collections  

Dr. Richard F. Welch donated his personal archive to Stony Brook University in 2008. The collection is comprised of: research notes; journals; correspondence; documents; newspaper clippings; newsletters; publicity files; and ephemeral material pertaining to the study of early Long Island and regional gravestones (c.1680-1810).

A significant portion of the collection is black and white photographs of headstones taken by Dr. Welch.

The collection is open and available for use by researchers. The finding aid for the collection can be accessed here.

Stewart, Ann, 1819, Jones Burial Ground, Cold Spring Harbor, NY. Image 48 from the Richard F. Welch Collection.

Welch, R. F. (1983). Memento Mori: the Gravestones of Early Long Island, 1680-1801. Syosset, NY: Friends for Long Island Heritage.  (Special Collections F127.L8 W44 1983)

Welch, R. F. (1993). An Island’s Trade: Nineteenth Century Shipbuilding on Long Island. Mystic, CT: Mystic Seaport Museum.  (Special Collections  & Main Library Stacks VM299.6.N72 W44 1993)

MacKay, R. B., Welch, R. F., & Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities. (2000). Long Island: an illustrated history. Sun Valley, Calif.: American Historical Press.  (Main Library Stacks & Special Collections F127 .L8 L5 2000)

Welch, R. F. (2005). The Boy General: The Life And Careers Of Francis Channing Barlow. OH: Kent State University Press.

Welch, R. F. (2009). King of the Bowery: Big Tim Sullivan, Tammany Hall, and New York City from the Gilded Age to the Progressive Era. NY: State University of New York Press.

Wiggins, Susannah, 7 July 1791, Sterling Cemetery, Greenport, NY. Image 10 from the Richard F. Welch Collection.

Special Collections and University Archives at Stony Brook University select, acquire, preserve and provide access to rare, valuable, and scarce primary and secondary materials  in a variety of formats in support of the educational and research endeavors of Stony Brook University's students, faculty, and staff.

The department also extends its services to researchers in the wider geographic region, nationally, and internationally.The collection includes: books, manuscripts, and maps dating from the 17th century; the University Archives; audio/visual materials;  and a digital repository. All are welcome to explore the library's unique collections. For more information about the collections, visit the department's website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/libspecial.

This map shows the locations of Long Island cemeteries with eighteenth century gravestones of which photographs are part of the Richard F. Welch Collection.

Detail of Purnell, Lorenzo, 1819, Commack Methodist Church, Commack, NY. Image 57 from the Richard F. Welch Collection.

Association for Gravestone Studies., & Friends for Long Island's Heritage. (1986). Long Island, N.Y. graveyards (including lower Manhattan Island): Worcester, Mass.: Association for Gravestone Studies. (Special Collections NB1856.N72 L75 1986)

Association for Gravestone Studies. (1980). Markers: the annual journal of the Association for Gravestone Studies. [Worcester?, Mass.]: The Association.  (Main Library Stacks E159.5 .M28, v. 1-10 (1979/1980-1993))

Duval, F. Y., & Rigby, I. B. (1978). Early American gravestone art in photographs: . New York: Dover Publications. (Main Library Stacks NB1856.N4 D8 1978)

Forbes, H. M. (1967). Gravestones of early New England, and the men who made them, 1653-1800: . New York: Da Capo Press. (Main Library Stacks NB1855 .F6 1967)

Gabel, L. K., & Association for Gravestone Studies. (1989). A basic guide to carver research: an interview. Needham, Mass.: Association for Gravestone Studies. (Special Collections NB1855 .G23 1989)

Stone, G., & Stony Brook University. Dept. of Anthropology. (1978). Colonial Long Island gravestones and trade networks. (Main Library Stacks F127.L8 L48)

Stone, G., & Stony Brook University. Dept. of Anthropology. (1987). Spatial and material aspects of culture: ethnicity and ideology in Long Island gravestones, 1670-1820. (Main Library Stacks F127.L8 L488 1987)

Wasserman, T. E. (1972). Gravestone designs: rubbings and photographs from early New York & New Jersey. New York: Dover Publications. (Main Library Stacks NB1856.N5 W37 1972)

Woolsey, Benjamin, n.d., Woolsey Burial Ground, Glen Cove, NY. Image 38 from the Richard F. Welch Collection.

Archaeology of Death: Historic Cemetery Research Bibliography by K. Kris Hirst

Association for Gravestone Studies Book Collection [Finding Aid]. (2010, June). Retrieved November 15, 2011, from University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries website: http://www.library.umass.edu/spcoll/umarmot/?p=926

Beine, J. (2011). Online New York Death Records, Indexes & Obituaries. Retrieved November 15, 2011, from http://www.deathindexes.com/newyork/index.html

Curly. (2009, January 29). Bygone Cemeteries Forum - Old Gravestone Styles [Online forum message]. Retrieved from Bygone Long Island: http://www.bygoneli.com/forums/showthread.php/1263-WELCOME-TO-THE-BYGONE-CEMETERIES-FORUM

Gunnarson, M., & Barnhill, G. B. (2009, October 19). Photographs of Sculpture on American Gravestones . Retrieved November 15, 2011, from American Antiquarian Society website: http://www.americanantiquarian.org/gravestones.htm

New York Cemetery Records. (2011). Retrieved November 15, 2011, from http://www.interment.net/us/ny/index.htm

Rumsey, D. (2003). Farber Gravestone Collection. Retrieved November 15, 2011, from American Antiquarian Society website: http://www.davidrumsey.com/‌farber/

World’s Best Photos of Gravestones and Long Island [Search Engine Results]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2011, from Flickr Hive Mind website: http://fiveprime.org/hivemind/Tags/gravestone,longisland

Wyckoff, E. H. (1978). Buried Past of Long Island. Retrieved November 15, 2011, from Long Island Genealogy website: http://longislandgenealogy.com/‌buriedpast.html

White, Silvanus, 22 October 1782, Sterling Cemetery, Greenport, NY. Image 11 from the Richard F. Welch Collection.

This LibGuide was compiled and published in November 2011 by Diane Holliday, Associate Professor and Reference Librarian at Dowling College and Kristen J. Nyitray, Associate Librarian/Head of Special Collections and University Archives/University Archivist at Stony Brook University.

• Calverton National Cemetery
• Find A Grave
• Gravestones at the Setauket Presbyterian Church
• Historic Cemeteries of Oyster Bay
• Long Island Ruins: Cemeteries
• Long Island Genealogy: Cemetery Index
• Long Island National Cemetery
• Lost Cemeteries of Long Island
• New York Genealogy: Index of Cemetery Records 
• Southampton Town Cemetery Project
• Town of Brookhaven Cemetery List

Detail of White, Silvanus, 22 October 1782, Sterling Cemetery, Greenport, NY. Image 14 from the Richard F. Welch Collection.