Guilford Center Cemetery
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Guilford Center Cemetery is a hillside burial ground of less than one acre beside CR 36 in the hamlet of Guilford Center, Chenango County. It began with the 1809 burial of Ralph Dickinson, young son of early settler Daniel T. Dickinson, who then donated land for a town burial ground. An 1810 plan divided a 150-foot square into fifty-four lots around a central cross axis, and later purchases in 1865, 1867 and the early 1900s extended it. About 427 burials are recorded, including eleven Revolutionary War veterans, and a wrought-iron fence encloses the site. The graves record the origins and family ties of the town's settlement-era residents. The cemetery also holds fine funerary art, including ten sandstone markers by the carver known as "coffin man," Jonas W. Stewart, and work by Asa Baldwin and Joseph Crandall. Neglect and vandalism have left many stones fallen or broken, and the local historical society is documenting the site and working toward restoration.
Significance in brief: The cemetery is tied to the settlement and development of the town of Guilford, holding the graves of many founding families, including the Dickinsons who donated the land. It also holds a fine collection of nineteenth and early twentieth century grave markers, including work by regional carvers such as Jonas W. Stewart ("coffin man"), Asa Baldwin and Joseph Crandall.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 05001129, listed October 5, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Cty Rte. 36, Guilford Center |
|---|---|
| County | Chenango County |
| Listed | October 5, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05001129 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1809-1950 |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Art |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as suffering neglect and vandalism; the town declared it abandoned in 2003, and the Guilford Historical Society is documenting it and working toward restoration with a state grant. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.40824, -75.46536 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 05001129.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5615910
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.