Brighton Cemetery struggles to stay alive

Another story of mine. This deals with the struggle faced by a historic cemetery to stay afloat.

By Matt Ried

It's tucked away at the end of a dead end street, no longer in the town of Brighton, but the Brighton Cemetery holds one of the biggest keys to Brighton's past.

Most of Brighton's early settlers are buried here, 19th Century movers and shakers who shaped the town and the world around them. The ravages of time and vandalism, along with dwindling interest and and a lack of money are making for an uncertain future for the cemetery.

The cemetery is at the end of Hoyt Street, just off Winton Road. It's sandwiched between homes and Route 490.

One member of the cemetery's association, who can trace her roots back to one of Brighton's earliest settlers, is doing what she can to keep the cemetery going.

Ruth Porter is a descendent of Enos Blossom, who came to Brighton in 1805. Blossom was one of the founders of the Allens Creek School and it's his family for which Blossom Road is named. Most of the Blossom family, and their relatives, including Porter's husband, are buried in the cemetery.

The association has dwindled though the years, falling from a membership of nine to four.

"Most of the members like myself are getting on in years, and are beginning to die off," said association member Ruth Porter. "Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be the interest in or knowledge of the cemetery to replace us."

In an effort to rekindle the fire of interest, Porter has spent the last two years, compiling a history of the cemetery along with a listing of the plots.

Porter's history includes the stories behind the people who are buried there. People like William Clough Bloss, a noted abolitionist, suffragist, and member of the temperance movement.

Bloss wasn't always against the consumption of alcohol.

"At one time in his life he owned a tavern on the Erie Canal into which mule drivers from the barges would come and have a good time," Porter said. "One day Bloss just decided alcohol was evil and he took his bottles of liquor one by one and emptied them into the canal."

In 1834, Bloss became known for his anti-slavery position when he published the essay, "The Rights of Man."

"'The Rights of Man thrust Bloss into national prominence as an abolitionist," Porter said. "He also created a stir by once sitting with and taking communion with blacks at a church service while he a was a representative in Albany."

In 1838, Bloss also came out supporting the right of women to vote. The memorial to his family calls him "a man ahead of his time."

William Clough Bloss wasn't the only prominent member of his family. His sister, Celestia Bloss, founded the first private school in Rochester, the Culver Street Seminary. She was so highly regarded by her students they erected a memorial to her in the cemetery after she died.

Also buried in the cemetery is Orringh Stone, builder of the Stone-Tolan House, the oldest structure in Monroe County. Originally a log cabin, the home became an inn for travelers along the Erie Canal, including the future King of France, Phillipe, and Aaron Burr.

Canal history figures prominently in the cemetery. Amasa Drake, who supervised the building of the canal's aqueduct through downtown Rochester, is buried there as is Isaac Moore who supervised canal construction in Brighton.

Also buried in the cemetery is local newspaperman and historian Arch Merrill who wrote a series of popular books about the Erie Canal and Western New York history. Though Merrill died in 1974, many of his books are still in print.

Unfortunately, all this history seems to mean little to the vandals who plunder the cemetery on a regular basis.

"We're hard hit by vandals," Porter said. "They've destroyed headstones, damaged headstones, and stolen headstones."

The association doesn't have the money to hire someone to discourage vandals. In fact, they're running out of money. Porter said their endowment is down to about $30,000. Unfortunately, the association doesn't know where to turn for help.

"We're a Brighton cemetery, but we're in the city of Rochester," Porter said, "and the city has trouble keeping up its other cemeteries."

Brighton historian Mary Jo Barone knows the cemetery is important to the town's history, but can't lend more than moral support to the association.

"Unfortunately, my hands are tied because it's not in the town," she said. "Hopefully, I can interest a group like Historic Brighton in helping, but they're still a really small organization."

The cemetery wasn't always in this sort of limbo. As a matter of fact, until 1892 it was attached to a church, the Brighton Congregational Church, now the Brighton Presbyterian Church.

In 1892, as the church divested itself from the cemetery, the Brighton Cemetery Association was born. In the early 1900's the event which leaves the cemetery in its current predicament took place. The City of Rochester annexed part of Brighton, including the village of Brighton in which the cemetery lay.

Porter is hopeful the cemetery will survive, but doesn't know what's going to happen.

"If the association dies and the money dries up I don't know what will happen to the cemetery," she said. "It's a shame because it's such an important piece of the town's history.