I N T E R S T A
T E B U R I A L G R O U N D |
The dead might as well try to speak
to the living as the old to the young --Willa Cather |
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Interstate Burial Ground (Quaker Burial
Ground), I-195, New Jersey |
| explored
& photographed by: Shady
Spanning east to west is one of New Jersey's most
heavily-traveled highways, Interstate 195. One straight shot can get you from near
Pennsylvania to the famous Jersey Shore, where it turns into 138. Route 195 is a busy
interstate, multiple lanes wide in most areas, yet millions of people each year pass right
over a hidden treasure as they drive this major freeway, without ever knowing it
is there...
If you were to take the CR-547 NORTH/ALLAIRE STATE PK/FARMINGDALE
(CR-524) exit, you'd span an overpass with hidden exit ramps on each side, which lead to
an odd sliver of land nestled like an island between the eastbound and westbound
lanes of 195. These exits are nearly invisible until you are actually passing them; even
then they are fairly hard to spot as you speed by. If you were to take one of these
strange exits, you would reach a small boat
launching area on one one side of this bizarre interstate-flanked "island"
where fishing enthusiasts begin their quests for a trophy or meal. On the other side,
you'd end up in a small elevated clearing surrounded by thick trees. Just past the tree
line lies the busy traffic of the Interstate... yet inside this small patch of land, the
dead have been resting for hundreds of years, undisturbed by their hectic surroundings... |
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It stands
nearly invisible from the narrow lane that leads to it, perched high atop a grassy,
shadowed plateau and surrounded by a dense border of tangly forest on almost all sides...
a mysterious cemetery hidden from all but the most curious of travelers. |
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We were
surprised to find out that this was an old Quaker Burial Ground dating back to 1778.
Faded, worn, and crumbling stone markers are studded throughout the silent graveyard. Some
of the gravestones are so old, they've broken off; someone has gathered the pieces and
grouped them around the trunk under the sheltering branches of the biggest tree in the
clearing. |
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The
not-very-distant buzz of the Interstate traffic just a few feet away on the other side of
the trees provides a surreal backdrop while we wander amidst the ancient memorials. The
place sits mostly in shadow, seemingly frozen in time. Here and there a stray shaft of
mellow sunlight broke through the canopy of branches to illuminate scattered groups of
tombstones. |
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Despite the
advanced ages of many of these graves, some of them still bore fresh blossoms and bouquets
at their marker's bases. Some of the stones are so timeworn that their engravings have all
but worn away. Many of the graves at the edges of the clearing are slowly but surely being
swallowed up by creeping forest. |
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This place is
really intriguing. It's so hidden, you can really drive right past it without ever knowing
of it's existence. It's secluded location gives it an air of otherworldliness... yet the
muted hum of traffic droning around you serves to remind that you're right in the middle
of civilization, quite literally. A really great find... we spent a good summer afternoon
leisurely wandering around this place. We even went back a second time, just to make sure
that we didn't imagine the place... and yes, it was still there.
No doubt, it sits there still, today...
waiting for the next intrepid explorer to seek out it's secrets.
Do you have any background information or stories to tell about this abandoned
site?
Want
to purchase one of these, or any of my other photos...?
O W N A P I E C
E O F L O S T H I S T O R Y:
All
of my pics are available for purchase as
high-quality prints on Kodak glossy paper, in 5x7 or 8x10 size; framing
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+FINAL DESTINATIONS+
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