AMHERST — At the park-like Wildwood Cemetery designed by Emily Dickinson’s brother Austin Dickinson in the 19th century, 50 or more funerals, including green burials, continue to take place each year in its meadows and woods.
A place for walkers, birders, cross country runners and history buffs, the site is the final resting place for Austin and Susan Dickinson, Mabel Loomis Todd, who was the first to publish Emily Dickinson’s poems, and Josiah Hasbrook Jr., an African-American who grew up with the family of abolitionist John Brown and was present for his hanging at Harper’s Ferry.
So for those who oversee the historic cemetery, it came as a shock late Saturday afternoon when they discovered a dozen gravestones were knocked off their bases in an apparent act of vandalism.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Rebecca Nordstrom, president of the Wildwood Cemetery board, said as she watched repairs being made to the monuments on Tuesday morning.
Fortunately, as Rebecca Fricke, Wildwood’s general manager set out to contact families and let them know about the incident, and inform them of a commitment to get the gravestones fixed as soon as possible, Dorsey Memorials, a long-running company under new ownership of Tom Mann, was able to get to the Strong Street site to begin restoration.
Focusing first on an area where a graveside service was set to take place that morning, and making sure the gravestones were put back up, Dorsey also put at ease the minds of loved ones by letting them know there would be no cost for the work.
“We’re grateful you were able to get to this so quickly,” Fricke told Mann.
Situated on an 80-acre site, Wildwood Cemetery has about 40 acres developed for plots since its establishment in 1887. Nordstrom explained that Austin Dickinson created its layout with advice from Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed New York City’s Central Park.
Though tipped onto the ground, most of the gravestones, with all but one made from granite, were largely unscathed, though some sustained some chips and scratches, with one having more significant cracks.
Chris Bailey, a letter carver for Dorsey, and colleague Jonathan Bulloch did the work to right the markers. Bailey said more harm can befall gravestones if they are left on the ground.
In handling the repairs, Mann said he is troubled by the actions of anyone who would intentionally cause damage in a cemetery.
“What I have observed is there are some people who deserve bad karma for this,” Mann said.
Fricke said her understanding is police are investigating.
The cemetery leadership has no intention of putting restrictions on access to the grounds that continue to be used by many in the community. The website for Wildwood actively encourages self-guided tours.
“We don’t think we want to change that,” Fricke said.