Front Gate of the Whippany Burying Yard.
Photo 2016, by Tori Petrillo
The Whippany Burying Yard is the oldest graveyard in north central New Jersey. It contains the oldest dated colonial artifacts in Morris County. It was established in 1718, before the United States was conceived, before New Jersey was a state, and before Morris County was founded. Two of Morris County’s first governing judges and many Revolutionary War soldiers are buried in this historic yard.
It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2010.
The land was donated by John Richards for a “meeting house, schoolhouse, burying yard, training field, and for public use.” Mr. Richards was the first person buried here. The Burying Yard contains over 300 marked graves. One hundred fifty people rest in unmarked graves, memorialized by a monument “Known only to God.”
The graveyard is legally, publicly owned, but no particular entity or institution is named in the deed. The grantee is interpreted to be the “Christian friends and neighbors in Whippanong.” It was formally maintained and administered by the Whippany Cemetery Association until its maintenance and administration was transferred to the Township of Hanover in 1976.
Deed of the Whippany Burying Yard
The Whippany Burying Yard is more than a cemetery—it is hallowed, public land. It was granted “for a meeting house, schoolhouse, burying yard, training field, and such like public uses.”
No specific grantees were named except “neighbors, who shall covenant.” It was given for “all times forever hereafter to have, hold, use, occupy, possess, and enjoy . . . without any manner of hindrance, molestation, eviction, ejection, or denial of use.”
It can “not be given, granted, bargained, sold, alienated, exchanged, or leased.” No monetary or valuable considerations were given in exchange for the land—it was conveyed “in consideration of love, goodwill, and affection.” It was granted under “the reign of our sovereign Lord George, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, Ireland, King, Defender of the faith and etc."
