Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation's Fan Box

Friday, December 12, 2008

Cedar Hill's Superintendent's Cottage

Thousands of people drive through Cedar Hill's gateway each year. As they enter to visit their loved one's grave site or seek a moment of peace and solace or admire Cedar Hill's rich art and history, very few notice the Superintendent's Cottage that stands just to the right of the entryway. Built in 1875, the Superintendent's Cottage has been Bill and Sue Griswold's home for 30 years.

The Hartford Courant shines a light on Bill and Sue's life in the Superintendent's Cottage in the December 12th edition of the CTHOME Section. "Bill's protectiveness of the cemetery is evident when he talks of the long history of cemeteries in New England and the tradition that required supervisors to live on the cemetery grounds. But over the years, he says, that tradition has faded."

To view the entire Courant article, visit www.courant.com and type Cedar Hill in the search box or cut and paste the following into your browser: http://www.courant.com/features/home/hc-homecemetery1212.artdec12,0,833880.story. Cedar Hill is proud to have Bill as its Executive Superintendent and this article genuinely reflects Bill's commitment to and love of Cedar Hill.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet - A Cedar Hill Notable

December 10, 1787 marks the birth date of Reverend Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Gallaudet was an intelligent young man who earned an undergraduate and graduate degree from Yale University. He then became a preacher after graduating from Andover Theological Seminary.

In the early 1800s, Gallaudet became interested in teaching the deaf when he met Alice Cogswell, the nine-year-old deaf daughter of his neighbor. He managed to teach Alice words by writing them in the dirt with a stick. With Alice’s father, Gallaudet traveled to Europe to learn more about teaching methods for the deaf.

In 1817, Gallaudet assisted in founding the Hartford School for the Deaf - now recognized as the American School for the Deaf - and he served as its principal for many years. In 1821, Gallaudet married a former student Sophia Fowler.

Thomas’s son, Edward Miner Gallaudet, founded the first college for the deaf in 1864 in Washington, D.C. In 1986, the college was renamed Gallaudet University.

Thomas Gallaudet died on September 10, 1851. He, his wife and his son Edward are interred at Hartford's historic Cedar Hill Cemetery.