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GREAT CONEWAGO PRESBYTERIAN CEMETERY

Located at 174 Red Bridge Road (at Hunterstown), Gettysburg, PA, the Great Conewago Presbyterian Cemetery has served as a community burial ground since at least 1741. The oldest legible grave marker bears that date. All persons, regardless of faith or race, may choose to be buried therein. A cemetery association oversees the care of the cemetery. Maintenance is provided by a combination of volunteer and paid work. The Association relies on cash donations and interest on money held in trust to cover cemetery expenses.

 
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No records exist of the earliest burials other than the inscriptions on the surviving grave markers. Because some markers likely have disappeared over the years and, not infrequently, infants, and sometimes adults too, were buried without a permanent marker indicating their gravesite, we can only estimate the number (probably between 900 and 1,000) of persons buried in the cemetery. At least thirty-two of the persons buried in the cemetery were veterans of the Revolutionary War and nine were veterans of the Civil War.

A number of the 18th century blue slate grave markers have withstood the elements remarkably well and remain legible even today. Some of those were carved by the Bigham family of stone carvers and contain elaborate images representing religious, ethnic, and family symbolism.

Tours of the cemetery may be arranged in advance! Please submit your tour request and preferred dates using the secure form on this page.

 
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Marker of John Bell
 
     
 
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Marker of Hannah Gordon
 

The following is a record of burials in the cemetery. It draws on various grave-marker surveys and cemetery records. Genealogical notes were extracted from obituaries, grave marker inscriptions, genealogical records, newspaper articles and other sources. Because of incomplete records, particularly from the 18th and 19th centuries, the difficulty of deciphering inscriptions on weathered grave stones, and human error, omissions and inaccuracies almost certainly exist in this record.
We will appreciate if the finders of such errors and omissions report them to: GCPC Cemetery Association at 174 Red Bridge Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325.

I think the following listing is the most complete and the most accurate available at this time. The following list is derived primarily from a registry of Gravesites prepared by Clarence and Jean Ford for the Great Conewago Presbyterian Cemetery Association. Some editing has been done to the Ford index based on surveys dated June 1930 (Source Mary Duttera) and August/September 1937 (Zaner et al) and on my personal research subsequent to January, 2000. Thank you for your interests in our cemetery.

Glenn Zepp.

DIRECTORY OF INDIVIDUALS BURIED IN THE HISTORIC CEMETERY

- Please Choose Your Selection by the First Letter of the Last Name -

 
 
 
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Buckey =Buckey, Ethel Close and Edna M. Pearce. Gravestone Inscriptions Hunterstown Presbyterian Church Graveyard Conewago Valley, Pa. No date. (Copy obtained from the Adams County Historical Society)

Duttera =Reported in a list of grave sites in the Great Conewago Presbyterian Church Cemetery dated June 30, 1930.

Zaner et al =Zaner, K., F. Bair, A. Byrnes, and A. E. Starner. Conewago Presbyterian Cemetery Straban Township Adams County (near Hunterstown) dated August 26 and September 1, 1937. Historical Society of York County. (Copy obtained from the Adams County Historical Society)
U = Unmarked grave. Date is day of issue of burial permit.

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