Upper Middleburgh Cemetery
Why it's listed
Upper Middleburgh Cemetery occupies a steep, west-facing hillside of about 16 acres on Huntersland Road, overlooking the village of Middleburgh and the Schoharie Valley. Founded in 1865 by the Middleburgh Cemetery Association to replace church and family burial grounds, it follows the Victorian rural cemetery model, with terraced burial sections, carriage and walking paths, and ornamental pines, spruce and arborvitae. An estimated 4,000 interments are located here. Separate areas were set aside for paupers, for African American residents and for Grand Army of the Republic veterans, and four U.S. Colored Troops veterans lie in the GAR plot. Grave markers range from plain fieldstones to marble and granite monuments and cast zinc examples. Notable features include the granite Foster Mausoleum, designed by Henry Bacon and topped by Evelyn Longman's sculpture of Faith, Hope and Charity, and a 1910 bronze memorial to Revolutionary War scout Timothy Murphy. A 1920s Neo-Gothic chapel and a frame maintenance building also contribute. The Village of Middleburgh has owned the site since 1948.
Significance in brief: The cemetery is argued to be an intact, representative example of a Victorian rural cemetery, with terraces, carriage paths and ornamental plantings that express Romantic landscape design. It also holds notable funerary art, including work by sculptor Evelyn Longman and architect Henry Bacon. Its burial sections for paupers, African Americans and Civil War veterans reflect the social history of the Middleburgh community.
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 03001144, listed November 17, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Huntersland Rd., Middleburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Schoharie County |
| Listed | November 17, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03001144 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1865-1948 |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art, Landscape Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a cemetery and owned by the Village of Middleburgh since 1948; the former chapel serves as a winter receiving vault and the maintenance building is used by the village public works department. |
| Acreage | 16 |
| Coordinates | 42.58923, -74.31846 (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 03001144.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7898785
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.