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Friends of Historic New Utrecht gear up for Liberty Weekend

June 1, 2012 Denise Romano

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The Friends of Historic New Utrecht are gearing up for Liberty Weekend, but had to do some spring cleaning first.

On Friday, May 18, volunteers did a spruce-up of the New Utrecht Cemetery, which has been controlled by the New Utrecht Reformed Church for the past 300 years. Liberty Weekend is the only time the site is open to the public.

It was a community cemetery and in a way it still is, said David Elligers, president of the Friends of Historic New Utrecht, adding that the cemetery was used as a town burial ground shortly after the village of New Utrecht was founded in 1677, although the church has no records.

The oldest tombstone, which dates back to 1781, is of Nelly Duryee, wife of farmer Abraham Duryee, who owned a large estate on Shore Road near 97^th Street.

William Van Brunt and his family are also buried there. Van Brunt was active in the Revolutionary cause and was a member of the Local Committee of Safety. He organized militia to restrain the British, Elligers explained. When the British landed in August of 1776, he and his colleagues were pardoned for being rebellious rebels, upon swearing that they would be subject to King George. They probably did it with their fingers crossed behind their backs.

Another notable figure laid to rest in the cemetery is Nicholas Cowenhoven, who was a lawyer and then a judge. He was also second in command of the Kings County Militia in the Battle of Brooklyn.

His wife was buried beside him, but over the years, a tree grew into her headstone, uprooting it and causing it to crumble. How can anyone let this go on? It must have taken a decade to grow, Elligers commented, noting that the piece of stone with her information on it is on display at the parish house.

Elligers will give a tour of the New Utrecht Cemetery from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 2 and from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 3.

Liberty Weekend will kick-off on Friday, June 1 at 7 p.m. with a concert by the Interschool Orchestras Symphonic Band on the church lawn. Seating is limited and unreserved. Audience members may bring their own chairs and blankets.

On Saturday, June 2 from 10 a.m. to 4p.m., there will be Civil War re-enactors and historians from the 14^th Brooklyn Regiment, as well as Revolutionary War re-enactors. Winslows Battery D will be demonstrating and firing its authentic 1863 Civil War cannon.

In addition, there will be two lectures in the parish house. National Park Service Ranger Michael Callahan will speak at 12:30 p.m., on the topic, The ‘Good Americans’: Loyalists in the American Revolution. Historian George Munkenbeck, Jr., will give a lecture at 1:45 p.m. on Healing Body and Soul – Civil War Development of Military Medicine and Transportation.

There will also be historical exhibits on display at the Parish House throughout the day.

On Saturday at 3:30 p.m., there will be ceremonies at the Liberty Pole on the church lawn, celebrating its 229^th year.

For more information, visit www.historicnewutrecht.org , call 718-256-7173 or e-mail [email protected]