The Cemetery Springs

Some recent discussions on little known mineral springs in my favorite Facebook group (Albany...the way it was) reminded me of the presence of the springs on the grounds of the Cemetery.  Long forgotten, these springs are indicated on several maps of the Cemetery.

The excerpt above is from an 1871 map of the grounds that appeared in Edward Fitzgerald's Handbook For The Albany Rural Cemetery.  The red markings indicate a suggested tour route for visitors and the map uses the romantic old names for the various paths, hills, and valleys (a subject for a future post or two).

Just to the right of Consecration Lake, there is a label reading Sulphur Sp.;  I've made a couple of attempts to pin down the exact spot of this spring, but it appears to have been somewhere near the Cutler plot.

The same map also shows two more springs;  there is a High Rock Spring just across the creek from the Townsend-Spencer lot and a Maple Spring somewhat to the southwest of President Arthur's grave.

There were, of course other springs.  Fitzgerald notes that a number of springs contribute to the formation of Cypress Water, the man-made pond and fountain on the South Ridge.

Springs were also the sources for other ornamental ponds that once dotted the ground, but have long since been removed.  One such pond was a small, round pool called Highland Water on the South Ridge roughly between Sections 15 and 16.

Another small pond on the North Ridge called Arbor Water.  Last summer, I spotted a small, muddy sinkhole just off the paved road.  At one edge of the eighteen-inch hole, there was a steady flow of very clear water which may have been from such a spring and may have once been the source for Arbor Water.

On the South Ridge , there is also Cold Spring Dell, a narrow little gully with a stream flowing through it from a source near the fence separating Albany Rural and St. Agnes Cemeteries.  This stream flows into the above-mentioned Cypress Water.

Strong Roots

The roots of this old tree have grown right into the stone of the embankment where Moordanaers Kill crosses from Wild Flower Dell and Oak Hill Grove into Sylvan Dell (those old section names come from the map of the grounds found in Henry Phelps' 1892 book The Albany Rural Cemetery - Its Memories, Its Beauties.)

Consecration Lake

One of my favorite areas to explore in the Albany Rural Cemetery is the ravine between the South and Middle Ridges. While there are very few monuments here, it is a fascinating and scenic place...as well as an important part of the Cemetery's early history.

The picture above shows Consecration Lake in the mid-1800s and is a pleasant reminder that rural cemeteries were often designed for use as parks as well as burial places.

On the left, a horse-drawn carriage appears to be following the popular "Tour" laid out in several early guidebooks (notice the sign on the tree by the rustic bridge). On the right, a man pauses on the bridge and ladies sit beneath a tree in the background. The path beyond the bridge curves up towards the MacIntosh vault as seen in the recent photo below.

Consecration Lake was formed by damning part of Moordanaers Kill where the ravine widens into a sort of natural amphitheater. It was here, in a spot described by an old Albany newspaper as "beautiful and secluded," that the Cemetery was consecrated on October 7, 1844...hence the lake's name.

Paths on both sides of Moordanaers Kill led into the ravine from the Cemetery's main entrance road and several small bridges crossed the stream. These bridges are, for the most part, gone. One rusted and uncrossable bridge can still be found near the opening of the ravine.

Like most of the Cemetery's lakes (except for Cypress Waters on the South Ridge), Consecration Lake was drained in the mid-20th century.

The photo above shows the present waterfall were the damn was removed. The photo above shows the present waterfall were the damn was removed. The antique image below shows the same view around 1906.

Prior to the establishment of the Cemetery, this was the location of a mill (with a large waterwheel powered bythe stream) and a small schoolhouse.

Due to the terrain, there are very few graves and monuments around the old lake site, though there are a number of interesting monuments in a small glade just west of the bridge and, from there, a grassy path runs along the shoulder of the Middle Ridge. There are, however, two noteworthy mausoleums here. The first is the MacIntosh vault mentioned above. The other is the Yates crypt.

The Yates family crypt is one of the Cemetery's most secluded graves. Set deep into the hillside near the spot where the consecration ceremonies were held and almost invisible from the road above, it is almost eerie in its isolation now. However, when it was first built, this vault overlooked Consecration Lake and one of the Cemetery's prettiest strolling paths. In fact, it was described in one guidebook as one of the one of the "most admirably located" in the entire Cemetery.

Cascade

A refreshing sight on a hot day; one of the streams which traverse the Rural Cemetery. This one is near the main road running between the Lodge and the Chapel.