The cemetery dates from 1715. One of the first people interred there was 21-year-old Simon Huntington, who died from a rattlesnake bite, probably while haying. Today only 1,300 tombstones remain visible, though perhaps thousands were buried there. The headstones bear the names of many Norwich founding families, including 69 individuals who fought in the struggle for independence. French soldiers, allies during the Revolution, are also buried there, along with Hannah Waterman Arnold, the mother of Benedict Arnold. Other early settlers of Norwich were buried in an older nearby cemetery, but those grave markers have long since disappeared. Nestled into the hillside is the red brick tomb and resting place of Samuel Huntington, who was elected president of the Second Continental Congress in 1779 and served until July of 1781. This was the Congress that framed the Declaration of Independence, which he signed for Connecticut. He was also the state's chief justice and governor until his death.

Photo: Conrad Ward

Norwich, Connecticut · USA