| Cemetery Number | CY059 |
| Town | COVENTRY |
| Cemetery Name | GREENWOOD CEMETERY |
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| Graves List | Display Graves List |
| Location | FAIRVIEW AVE |
| State | RI |
| Direction | W |
| Pole Number | 59 |
| Distance | 0 |
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| Size in Feet | 1000 |
| Size in Feet | 650 |
| Inscriptions | 4456 |
| Fieldstones | |
| Tombs | |
| Exist? | YES |
| Last seen date? | 2013 |
| Newest | 1997 |
| Oldest | 1796 |
| Vandalism | N |
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| Comment | This cemetery is located west of Fairview Avenue at telephone pole # 59. It is 25 acres enclosed with a stone wall with a large 660 foot long wall along Fairview Avenue. Greenwood contains about 6000 burials with 4456 inscribed burials. There are 80 Civil War soldiers, including one Confederate soldier, identified on their gravestones and probably more who are not identified.
James Arnold visited this cemetery between 8-17 November, 1904, “on Phenix Hill, some of these lots are well cared for, others more or less neglected, a fine receiving tomb in centre of yard” (Vol. 6, Books 12-15, pages 1-234 and Vol. 6, Book 17, pages 887-958). Amelia K. Whitford recorded this cemetery in 1986.
By comparing the 1904 Arnold transcript with this 1996/1997 transcript a number of replacement gravestones have been identified. Most of these are granite stones replacing older marble markers. In the twentieth century mechanized mowing equipment started to be used to trim the grass in cemeteries. The maintainence people responsible for this task removed footstones to simplify this task. In this cemetery apparently they also removed many of the children’s gravestones which were often about the same size as footstones. Arnold recorded many more children’s stones in 1904 than were found in 1996. Whenever possible the Arnold data was inserted near the parents with a note ‘not found in 1996.’
The land for this cemetery was purchased by William B. Spencer April 23, 1858. Prior to 1857 this ground was covered with pines, oak and chestnut trees, which were cut down. Boulders were removed and a stone wall 2850 feet in length was built around a twelve acre lot. A gang of men worked for two years to prepare this cemetery for Mr. Spencer at a cost of $10,000. The original plan had 609 lots of 20 x 30 feet.
Recorded by Dr. Bill Eddleman and John Sterling for a 1998 book on Coventry cemeteries |
| Condition | good |
| Enclosure | stone wall |
| Gate | iron gate |
| Growth | grass-well kept |
| Terrain | level |
| Cemetery Location |
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| Cemetery Burial Map |
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