East Side Interdenominational Cemetery covers a gently sloping fenced area of grassy terrain at the base of a rocky outcrop at 315 East Street on the east side of St. Anthony, NL. The cemetery appears to contain more than forty grave plots, of which about thirty are marked with headstones, which are mainly of white marble. The designation includes the area of fenced cemetery land at the time of designation.
Formal Recognition Type
Municipal Heritage Building, Structure or Land
Heritage Value
East Side Interdenominational Cemetery has been designated a municipal heritage site by the Town of St. Anthony because of its historic and aesthetic values.
East Side Interdenominational Cemetery has historic value because it is the oldest known cemetery in St. Anthony, and the only known interdenominational cemetery in the town. It appears to date from at least the early 1840s, apparently coinciding with the period of St. Anthony’s development from a seasonal fishing station into a permanent settlement. The cemetery was used until at least 1957, by which time denominational Christian cemeteries were established in St. Anthony. The cemetery’s headstone inscriptions have value as local historic records, containing genealogical information such as familial relationships and dates of birth and death. The headstones also bear the marks of stonecarvers including Chistlett, MacKim, McIntyre and Skinner.
The headstones are also key to the aesthetic value of the cemetery, as their mainly white marble material and tablet forms are typical of the period during which the burial ground was in use. Other elements which visually evoke that time include the grassy ground cover and instances of low, wooden grave plot boundary fencing.
Source: Town of St. Anthony Council Meeting Motion 056-2008 April 28, 2008.
Character Defining Elements
Those elements relating to the historic and aesthetic value of the site, including:
-inscribed headstones;
-the preponderance of white marble material and tablet forms of headstones;
-grassy ground cover;
-and low, wooden grave plot boundary fencing.
Notes
Patey and Simms are said to have been among the earliest families to settle at St. Anthony. Those surnames and variants of Patey appear on headstones at East Side Interdenominational Cemetery. One headstone commemorates Joseph Boyde, its inscription saying that he died in 1896, at age 71. Boyde (also spelled Boyd) may have been one of St. Anthony’s first resident merchants, with premises at the southwest side of the harbour. Surnames on the extant headstones include Biles, Boyde, Brenton, Brett, Burt, Carpenter, Chambers, Colbourne, Cox, England, Finemore, Hancock, Hillier, Ollerhead, Patey, Peatey, Peaty, Simms and Strangemore.
Google map
Town of St. Anthony Website
