Temple Hill Cemetery

While Halloween may be the perfect time of year to visit a cemetery out of curiosity, many visit cemeteries for a variety of reasons, including recreation and historic fascinations. With the town and village of Geneseo being filled with plenty of history, there are great reasons to visit the local Temple Hill Cemetery, which itself is filled with plenty of historic value. 

The cemetery is not far from the SUNY Geneseo campus and is just a short walk up through the historic district. The dates on the headstones of those buried range from the times of George Washington and the American Revolution to more recent.  

One of the most fascinating aspects of visiting a historic cemetery is stumbling across interesting figures that you would have never expected, and Temple Hill Cemetery is no exception. When visiting, you can pass one of New York’s own governors who is buried on the property. John Young, the governor from January 1847 to December 1848, is one of the notable individuals who claim the cemetery as their final resting place. 

Of course, the cemetery is also the final resting place to likely the most known family in Geneseo, the Wadsworths. The family plot has plenty of members and is well-maintained. The stones vary in shapes and sizes on the plot and are enclosed by a black fence. The range in headstone dates indicating the years of birth and passing displays their longstanding connection to Geneseo. 

A cemetery such as this gives a local community like Geneseo a way of feeling connected to the past. There are times when American history such as the Civil War or Revolutionary War can feel like ancient events, hardly related to an era such as this. However, when stones with the names and dates of the individuals from these times are visible, it is easier to feel connected. To think that James S. Wadsworth fought in battles such as Gettysburg is truly fascinating. 

When walking through a local, old cemetery like Temple Hill, a visitor is able to learn plenty about local history. With a large campus such as SUNY Geneseo, there are plenty of people who have contributed to its success and are buried within the cemetery. 

Along with the cemetery’s history, there is the beauty of the landscape, which is filled with plenty of tree coverage and green grass. Seeing as the cemetery sits next to a neighborhood, it can almost be perceived more as a park than a cemetery. 

While many may identify cemeteries as places exclusively related to death, there are also other approaches. While death is no doubt a theme here, there is also the history and significance of the people who are laid to rest here that can be understood. It may not be everyone’s favorite activity, spending even a moment in a cemetery, but there can be much to appreciate when gaging it from the right perspective.